Maktub
by devil-urd
Summary: R&R welcomed... As the title says - it was already written... - shoujoai warning... sometimes the past might be scarier than the future...chapter 12 UP!
1. prologue

I just have one thing to say. this fic is for my dearest friend The Evil_sick_cow. Worship her 'cause it's because of her I decided to write this thing. Besides that.. Everybody. watch NOIR!!! HAR HAR HAR  
  
Maktub prologue  
  
A beautiful evening it was..  
  
Another beautiful evening. just like everything else here on Earth was absolutely gorgeous.  
  
One could smell the faint scent of the cherry blossom petals falling on the ground, observe the flock of birds already starting their long journeys to warmer lands and even hear the gentle breeze that was floating along in the air.  
  
"An illusion. a beautiful illusion. but still. is what this is. " Belldandy thought to herself, her eyes hardening as she looked to her surroundings. She could sense something lingering in the air around them. an old feeling of nostalgia that seemed not that familiar to the young goddess.  
  
"This is almost like peace before the storm... something is about to come" she whispered to no one but herself, sitting on the wood floor of Keiichi's veranda. She was a sensible goddess. She could tell that the world maintained itself on a fragile balance between right and wrong. Good and Evil.  
  
Their lives had been very quiet for some time now. Skuld had recently turned 14 and was fastly growing to become a beautiful teenager. Slightly more mature, her fights with her oldest sister were scarce now and she was becoming a wonderful mind, not only in what refers to machines and such, but also in the matters of life. You could almost trust the youngster of the Norns as you could trust Belldandy. at least in some things, that is. Of course her childish moods still came to her once in a while, but with the support of her sisters and Keiichi, she was doing much better than she was when she first arrived to the mortal realm.  
  
"Keiichi" Belldandy found herself smiling slightly just thinking of his name.  
  
The little man that everybody learned to love in a way. He had also grown up himself, now a little more confident in his actions and on his moves towards Belldandy. He definitely lost some of his shyness when becoming engaged to her, not to long ago. Of course, sometimes it was still just impossible for Keiichi to act all cool and controlled when Urd or Skuld occasionally found him and Bell sparing some good time together. But that would also improve with time.. At least it was what everybody expected on some level.  
  
Belldandy herself also changed, even though it was quite difficult to note exactly what had been altered in the goddess personality if you didn't know her pretty well. Some of her innocence was lost, giving place to some prudence. She was now just slightly more serious than a few years ago, but her playful and charming characteristics were still predominant.  
  
Urd, on the other hand, had developed in a full adult, totally different of the reckless, uncontrolled and inconsequent women she was before. Much calmer and even more serious, sometimes not even Belldandy could believe that her older sister could have grow so much in such a short space of time.  
  
Well, what was 2 years compared to a few millennia's of life?  
  
It was hard for Urd to lose her patience now, even with her little sister that once in a while teased her for a little fight. As Keiichi had once said, now, she finally looked like the eldest of the three Norns. Belldandy was happy to have an older sister that accepted some of the responsibility of raising Skuld and being a proper goddess, relieving her of some of the pressure that people tended to put upon her shoulders.  
  
What had leaded Urd into such a drastic change of behaving, nobody knew, and nobody was willing to face the Elder goddess to ask her.  
  
Belldandy herself believed that Urd would eventually talk to her about what had happened...  
  
Keiichi enjoyed her new character the most, and was now much more comfortable around the platinum haired goddess than before. Skuld didn't know how to react towards the goddess of the Past in the beginning, but she slowly started to learn on how to behave when in front of her sister. Even if Skuld would never admit it, she had grown very fond of Urd these past years and finally gained some respect for her. But, of course, the younger goddess would rather be demoted than tell that to anyone.  
  
No matter what had changed about her, Urd was still Urd.  
  
And there are some things that never change.  
  
Even with someone who has the eternity to.  
  
"Change, that's the keyword." Belldandy thought as she rose up to her feet and decided to take a brief walk. She loved to feel the grass beneath her naked feet... it was always a strange feeling.  
  
Stopping before a nearby tree she turned her gaze upwards and spotted a little squirrel on one branch. The furry animal was busy trying to open a mast with its teeth, but as soon as he saw Belldandy there, he dropped his meal and ran to a hole in the tree, hiding itself from view.  
  
Belldandy frowned. even the animals could sense it coming, whatever it was.  
  
Looking around, she could tell that not only that little squirrel, but all nature was silent and retreated, as if preparing to shield itself from something. What was before a doubt in Belldandy's head now became certain. Their days of peace were running out fast.  
  
"Well, at least I can try to calm this little squirrel" she chuckled to herself, but nevertheless started to float towards the hole on the high tree trunk.  
  
"Hey. I don't mean you any harm. You can come out." She softly spoke to the dark hole, leaning her forehead on the trunk and waiting for a reaction of the squirrel. A few seconds passed without anything happening, but when the little animal finally stuck its head out of the hole to take a peek of who was there, Belldandy lips curved up in a bright smile.  
  
"That's it. Come here." She stretched he hand near the cute creature that promptly jumped in her open palm. It just sat there, small, dark eyes looking at Belldandy, stress evident on its face. Belldandy carefully caressed its fur with her index, impressed to see it softness. The squirrel eventually calmed down and seemed to be enjoying itself for the time being, despite his earlier distrust. For this, Belldandy's smile grew wider.  
  
"Belldandy?" a gentle yet firm voice called her, making the goddess head jerk up in surprise.  
  
"Yes, Oneesan?" She asked turning her head, only to stare to the empty backyard. She knit her brows in confusion but after a second of thinking she just released a soft laugh and closed her eyes.  
  
"Say it Urd." She telepathically said to her sister, letting the squirrel rest on its lair once more.  
  
This was one of the small changes of her sister's habits that she found herself adoring. Instead of coming out the house floating two meters in the air and yelling around to find out where she was, she just limited herself of contacting her through a telepathic link. If Urd was someone else she would have laughed of the naivety in Belldandy's earlier actions, but she just sighed and Belldandy could sense a little bit of frustration in her sister voice.  
  
"Come back home. Keiichi ordered some pizza." Belldandy mentally nodded and began her way to the house, not looking back to see two red eyes that observed her every movement from a vantajous position in the tree she was leaning on, minutes ago.  
  
******** 


	2. chapter 1

SAME THING HERE GUYS. WATCH NOIR AND THANK THE EVIL_SICK_COW FOR INSPIRATION  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Belldandy entered the house, cleaning her feet at the doorway and putting some socks on. As she made way to their small kitchen two heads promptly turned to greet her with a nod. A smile appeared on Keiichi and Skuld's faces when the goddess who just entered locked eyes with them. Urd didn't even bothered to look at her. The platinum haired goddess just sat there, her arms crossed ahead of herself on the table and her head lying between them, her face hidden from piercing eyes.  
  
"Big sister, we've been waiting for you for ten minutes now." Skuld said enthusiastically, grabbing one of Belldandy's hands and leading her to a seat next to her at the table. Keiichi also took a seat in front of Belldandy and opened the two packages that were lying untouched on their table. Two very good looking pizzas came to view, much to Skuld's delight. The girl was practically drooling over their dinner. Belldandy's eyes though, rested on her older sister still form.  
  
"Thanks for calling me up Urd. I didn't realize it was already dinner time." She said in a soft voice, trying to get Urd to talk a little. She didn't like the present silence in the air.  
  
"Huh?" Urd asked, seeming a little startled by Belldandy's statement. Her cat green eyes seemed somewhat lost for a moment, but soon focused on her sister, and a small, yet somewhat sad smile, formed on her lips.  
  
"She didn't call you. She was here all the time with us. "Skuld said in a matter of fact way, while helping Keiichi cut the pizzas in equal portions.  
  
It was Belldandy's turn to smile this time, not wanting to correct Skuld, who wouldn't pay any attention to her, even if she tried to explain. Urd chuckled softly sitting upstrait in her chair and uncorked the soda bottle, pouring the liquid into everyone's glasses. Closing the bottle again she closed her eyes and relaxed a little bit, leaning her head back in her seat.  
  
"Here you go Skuld." Keiichi happily said to Skuld, passing two pieces of pizza to her empty plate. The young goddess didn't even bother to use her knife and fork, she just grabbed her food with her hands and started to chew on it.  
  
"Skuld, have some manners when eating." Urd addressed her sister, still with her eyes closed. Skuld stopped chewing to look at her and arched an eyebrow, waiting to see if Urd would insist. Not getting any other comment, she just resumed eating the way she was.  
  
"Skuld.. I thought I was talking to you, just now." Urd said, her voice still as calm as it was before, but with a barely perceptive grave tone. Skuld made a sad face in return and lowered her pizza.  
  
"But it's funnier to eat like this." She said cheerfully, trying to somehow convince Urd into letting her eat the way she wanted. All she got was a look of disproval from Belldandy, who was cutting her own piece of pizza slowly with her fork and knife.  
  
"I don't like to repeat myself." Was all Urd said, still not opening her eyes. Skuld dropped her pizza into her plate in defeat and grabbed the two utensils that laid on the right side of her dish. Keiichi deposited two pieces of pizza in Urd's plate and in his as well and started to eat.  
  
"You know, you should have some manners at the table too. Just look in front of you. Keiichi served you and you didn't even touch it." Skuld replied, not lifting her eyes from her pizza. This time Urd opened her eyes and stared blankly at the food, as if not recognizing what was placed before her. Much to Skulds' astonishment she excused herself and slowly started to eat too.  
  
Belldandy eyes darted between her two sisters as she grabbed the soda bottle and poured herself some more drink. Keiichi's eyes met hers, seeming impressed as well.  
  
"Urd dear, what's wrong? Still having a headache?" Belldandy asked, now genuinely worried. Urd glanced at her in reply, but quickly lowered her gaze to her food.  
  
"Yeah. since I woke up." She said in a quiet voice, trying to coil around the melting cheese in her fork.  
  
"Want me to get an aspirin?" Keiichi offered, now worried himself. Urd was having strong headaches since a few days ago, and it wasn't normal for such a thing to happen, not for a mortal, not to mention a goddess. Urd managed a smile but refused the medicine, grabbing a napkin and cleaning her mouth. Skuld finished her share and quickly refilled her plate, not even listening to the conversation around her. Silence fell upon the house again. For some strange reason, everything seemed to be very quiet today. Belldandy wondered if it was her imagination for the second time that day. It was Keiichi who broke the stillness.  
  
"Well Bell, remember the money I earned last month on all those part time jobs?" He asked, showing a bright smile that reached to his eyes.  
  
"Yes, what about it?" She asked, a bit curious about Keiichi's sudden expression of happiness. He seemed to be really thrilled about something.  
  
"Well. I decided to make an investment with it." He spoke with a mischievous grin, earning a look from both Urd and Skuld. Belldandy arched an eyebrow in response, not having the singlest clue on where her fiancée was trying to get. She patiently waited for him to continue, not uttering a word.  
  
"You're not going to ask what it is?" He questioned her with a lighthearted laugh. Belldandy cheeks reddened a little but she eventually gave in.  
  
"Say it, what is it? You made me curious." She smiled, now intrigued by the subject. Was this somehow related to the recent visits Keiichi made to the town without mentioning anything to her? He looked dreamful at her for a second, with a tiny piece of pizza in the end of his fork, which was just about 2 centimeters from his mouth.  
  
"I bought us a car. " He stated proudly. Biting his food, he looked at Belldandy, waiting for her reaction.  
  
Belldandy gasped and her eyes widened in surprise. Urd smiled, chuckling softly and ran a hand through her long hair to brush some locks out of her face. Skuld's head jerked up and she looked at Keiichi with an air of disbelief.  
  
"Cool, when can we see it?" She said after a few seconds, truly interested in the revelation the boy just made. Her eyes now seemed to sparkle with a strange light that showed her enthusiasm clearly.  
  
"Well." Keiichi started, still anxious to get a reply from Belldandy. "They should deliver it in the day after tomorrow." He added, now a little nervous, since Belldandy's expression didn't show him any signs of approval, or disproval. She just sat there with her mouth slightly open, staring incredulously at him. Then something seemed to snap within her and she got up from her seat and hugged her boyfriend tightly.  
  
"I don't know what to say. I'm just so happy." She whispered with her head hidden in his chest and her hands wrapped around his neck. He hugged her back and kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"I thought we could use a larger vehicle. Now we don't need to worry anymore with the space in the motorcycle. We can carry all the family around." He happily said as Belldandy broke up the embrace to look at him. A small tear of joy made her way downwards her cheek. At this moment Urd dropped her fork on her dish, making a shocking noise that attracted everybody attention. She winced visibly and put a hand on her temple, closing her eyes with some discomfort.  
  
"Is something wrong sister? You need any help?" Belldandy questioned her, letting Keiichi go and moving to Urd's side. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder she waited for Urd to open her eyes again. She seemed a little stunned. her face was suddenly a bit pale.  
  
"It's okay Bell. I think I'm going to my room. I'm not feeling very famous." Her voice was hesitant as she replied.  
  
"Excuse me." She stated as she got up, heading for the stairway without even looking back. Belldandy stood there with a worried expression, mirroring also Keiichi and Skuld ones. Keiichi turned at her with a confused stance and Skuld with pleading eyes. She sighed and made her way to her seat again.  
  
"I'll go talk to her later. Let's finish our meal shall we?" Everybody resumed eating, occasionally chatting about the car Keiichi mentioned before, not citing what just occurred in any moment.  
  
***  
  
In Urd's Castle, the goddess of the Past took of her shoes and lied on top of her single bed, not bothering to pull the blanket upon her body. Adjusting her pillow bellow her head she closed her eyes and tried to forget the throbbing pain that insisted to be acknowledged. In the very moment Urd closed her eyelids, images started to form in her dazed mind.  
  
"What's happening? Why I am seeing these things every time I close my eyes?" Were her last thoughts as her consciousness slipped into an agitated sleep.  
  
| Flashback |  
  
"Hey Urd, let's play." a blond haired girl called her, jumping with excitement and grabbing one of her tiny hands into her own. They ran through a green field with tall grass, occasionally tripping in some rock and falling on top of each other. Urd couldn't help but feel a little nostalgia and happiness in the same time.  
  
As soon as the image came, it was gone, only to be replaced by another. This time she seemed to be in some sort of forest, with tall and old trees that held rich greens leafs at their tops. She was leaning against a large tree trunk, holding a sheet of paper and a pen in her hands.  
  
"So, how was your training yesterday? I heard you reached a new level." A familiar voice from behind addressed her, with a faint timbre of worry. The Urd in her mind chuckled and dropped the sheet she was holding on the floor, looking helplessly into the sky.  
  
"Don't make me lose my concentration. It's your exam I am correcting here you know? So if you don't want to fail, be quiet for a moment." Her voice carried an imperative, but soft and gentle tone in the same time. Whoever she was talking to, Urd knew instantly that she didn't mean to harm or hurt the other feelings.  
  
"Jeez, no need to be so serious about it. It's just a paper test." The other girl teased her and Urd couldn't help but smile at the situation.  
  
A white flash exploded in her mind and Urd turned abruptly in her sleep, now lying facing the ceiling on her bed. Her brows knit and her breath seemed to become a little elaborated. The tanned goddess didn't wake up despite her troubled sleep, allowing the images to continue to flow in her mind.  
  
"I could be like this forever you know?" A girl with dark hair asked from between her arms, with her back turned at her, locked in a rather intimae embrace. Urd reached a hand to caress the girl cheek.  
  
It's so softI know this person.. I know this voice. Urd remarked, trying hard to remember who was this girl. Her voice seemed just a little more mature than the girl from her previous vision. She just couldn't replace the feelings she was experiencing right now, what didn't help her in anything in the moment. Her heart skipped a beat when her image brought the other girl hand to her lips, kissing it gently. She managed to see a large golden ring on her ring-finger, before the girl cupped her cheek in her hand and pulled her for a passionate kiss as she closed her eyes.  
  
-----  
  
Urd woke up with a jump, a thin sweat covered her body, plastering her shirt to her chest. A few drops of sweat fell on her lap as she moved to a sitting position. Trying to focus her disturbed mind she glanced at the person standing on her side. Tired green eyes met worried blue ones.  
  
"It was just a nightmare Urd. Relax, I'll bring you a glass of water." The brown haired goddess said, getting up and moving towards the door. She was stopped before she could take a step forward though, by Urd's tight grip on the fabric of her sleeve. Belldandy sat on the side of her bed and rested a hand on her sister cheek. Urd, who was facing her lap, let go of Belldandy's sleeve and seemed to calm a little. Bell waited for a moment, but when Urd didn't moved a muscle, she brought her face up, making the older goddess eyes met hers.  
  
There was one thing she knew for certain.. Urd was passing through some kind of experience that was draining her strength with every day that passed. Her green eyes showed the tiredness, and Urd seemed to be totally distracted, as if she was about to fall asleep right there, into her sister lap. She couldn't seem to focus her gaze properly, as her pupils dilated in a strange way before her. Belldandy didn't let go of Urd's cheek, fearing that she would crumple on her if she did so.  
  
"Oneesan. tell me what's wrong. It isn't like you to be like this!" She asked, trying to read the other goddess' expression. She couldn't see anything but exhaustion. Urd tried to turn away from her, but Belldandy held her, staring at her with pleading eyes to know what was off beam there. Urd blinked once but decided to give in. She wasn't in the mood to come up with something to trick Belldandy..  
  
"I don't know what's happening either. I've been having some strange visions" She lazily answered, letting her body fall on her bed again. Closing her eyes, the only thing that kept Belldandy from thinking she fell asleep again was her secure breath. Belldandy tilted an eyebrow in confusion.  
  
"Visions? You mean, like visions from your past?" She asked a bit uncertain.  
  
Urd shrugged, half opening her eyes to look at her sister. Belldandy noted she was forcing herself to stand awake.  
  
"I guess not. I don't remember any of the things I've been seeing." She whispered only to Belldandy's ears, and let go a soft groan.  
  
"I think I'll rest some more now Bell. We'll discuss this some other time." She stated, but before Belldandy could come up with another question, she closed her eyes and gave into sleep once more. Belldandy opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she noted it was useless to try to make her sister speak some more. Leaning on Urd's still form she quickly chanted a spell to make the other immortal rest without being disturbed by unpleasant dreams. Brushing her lips to Urd forehead she mouthed good night and took her leave, closing the door behind her.  
  
In the outdoors, a quiet rain started to fall, only to become a torrent, accompanied by some thunder bolts that made the temple tremble once in a while. Outside Urd's room, sitting on a tree branch, a clad figure with red eyes smiled devilish at the closed window. Getting up to her feet the demon leaped into the air with a sinister laughter. Even if Belldandy couldn't hear it, a chill ran down her spine.  
  
To be continued 


	3. chapter 2

DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF???  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Belldandy entered quietly in the living room, where Keiichi and Skuld were distracted watching a TV show. She wordlessly sat besides Keiichi, on the couch, leaned her body onto his and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and ran a hand through her silk hair. Despite the bad vibration she felt seconds ago, she seemed to calm down considerably.  
  
"So, how's she?" He muttered peacefully, not taking his eyes from the TV set before him. Belldandy exhaled noisily, diverting her gaze to the motionless figure of Skuld, who eyed them from the corner of her eye from her laying position on the floor, where she rested her head against the sofa.  
  
"I don't know. She seems to be having some kind of visions lately." Keiichi noticed the uncertain tone of his lover's voice and turned his head to look directly at her.  
  
"What do you mean Bell? What kind of visions?" His brow was frenzied in confusion. Even if he did live with the three goddesses for quite a long time now, he wasn't aware of many things that happened to the divine beings. Even so, it wasn't normal for these sorts of things to happen. Belldandy knew that all too well but even she didn't have satisfactory answers at the moment. Skuld sat on the floor, one arm supporting her weight and turned to face her elder sister. The goddess lowered her gaze to her lap as she murmured the words.  
  
"I don't know that either. Urd didn't quite explained me that. She just collapsed on her bed and returned to sleep even when I was there." Skuld arched an eyebrow in confusion. Keiichi seemed to be even more confused.  
  
"That's very strange. It's not like Urd to do something like that." The boy stated as he followed Belldandy's gaze to her lap, noticing the entwined fingers tremble ever so slightly. He could sense Belldandy's disappointment in not being able to enlighten what was wrong with Urd. Being a first class goddess there were little things that escaped her. Or so he thought like that.  
  
"Why is she having these visions all of a sudden?" Skuld's childish voice brought both adults' attention back as she joined the dialogue. Belldandy seemed to think for a while before she answered.  
  
"I can't tell for certain, but I know one thing." She paused here, lifting her head to look into her sister eyes. Her facial expression was very serious, Skuld noted.  
  
"Being the Goddess of the Past there are many recollections that haunt our sister's mind. Let's just not forget that Urd's been alive for millennias even before us two dreamed on being born." Keiichi could sense some sadness in Bell's voice, but before he put a comforting hand on her shoulder the goddess got up and moved with slow and graceful steps to the nearby window, resting her palm against the glass. Skuld eyed her all the way. The raindrops that fell against the window blocked her from having a clear view of the backyard, but she knew that out there, the weather was terrible. The glass was cold against her touch, and Belldandy looked at the transparent material with some discomfort.  
  
"Haven't you noted anything unusual lastly, Skuld?" The young goddess seemed to be taken by surprise by the question as she cluelessly looked at Belldandy, who had her back turned against her.  
  
"What do you mean Big Sister?" She asked, uncertain. Keiichi sat up straight in the couch as he listened to everything with concern.  
  
Belldandy looked blankly at the view before her, as if trying to concentrate and scan her surroundings. A thunder bolt brought her back to reality.  
  
"This awkward feeling. As if something evil is approaching. Can't you feel it Skuld?" Keiichi couldn't stop himself from shivering at Belldandy's quiet voice and the following silence. Skuld seemed to be lost in concentration for some seconds as she too scanned the area. She suddenly came to her feet startled and with an alarmed expression.  
  
"What is it Bell? What is this?" The youngest goddess took a step forward in her sister's direction, but stopped on her tracks when she took note of Belldandy's clenched fist on her side. Bell turned to look at her sister's troubled face and Keiichi's concerned one. She made her way back to the couch and sat again at her fiancée's side.  
  
"The balance between good and evil is very delicate, as you both well- known. Even being symmetric forces, there is always one that is predominant over the other one. They switch places in a similar way we change seasons... It's been like that since the beginning of the times." Both Skuld and Keiichi listened to her explanation, totally unaware of the storm that was fastly developing in a real catastrophe out there. The rain worsened and the thundering followed suit. Belldandy though, kept her line of thought, she too distracted.  
  
"It seems that we are entering an era where evil is predominant. It's like a dark wave that washes the world." She observed her audience's faces that encouraged her to continue.  
  
"To the mortals." She continued, observing Keiichi, who stared at her receptively. Even if he didn't like being called a mortal, he didn't seem offended by Belldandy's words.  
  
"The changing of predominance is scarcely distinguished, if not imperceptive. Some more accidents are inclined to happen and people also tend to get a little more nervous. Besides that, they can't feel the difference." She trailed off, turning her gaze to Skuld, who stood in the middle of the room, unmoving. She pointed at herself before resuming her explanation.  
  
"To the goddess there isn't a considerable change as well. We only become more sensitive to the atmosphere around us and there is a certain tendency to act more carefully." Belldandy made another pause here, and turned her gaze to the ceiling, eyes dark and cold.  
  
"To the demons however, there are dangerous alterations on their behaviors." Keiichi thoughts wandered to Mara for some reason when Belldandy mentioned the demons. He quickly dismissed the demoness' image of his head and turned his attention to the goddess in front of him once more. Skuld approached the pair as she kneeled besides Belldandy and rested her head in her lap. Belldandy's hands moved to caress the girl's head gently. She smiled a sad smile before continuing.  
  
"The demons start acting violently, even among them. They often lose control on their own bodies and do unimaginable things without even having clear consciences on their acts. They are drawn like a fly to the moth into breaking all the kind of rules... All their darkest instincts come to surface by this time. Luckily, they are often contained by their leader." She finished closing her eyes and resting her head back. All of a sudden, Keiichi manifested himself.  
  
"Hum. what do you think it would happen to Urd then?" He asked unaware of the importance of the question he just made. Skuld lifted her head to look at Belldandy, who immediately opened her eyes and stared stunned at Keiichi. The boy ignored the goddess' looks on him and patiently waited for Belldandy to come up with an answer. The goddess looked as she just skipped something very important. Her hands came to rest on her lap once more as she forced her mouth to move.  
  
"I. I don't know. With Urd being half demon, half goddess, I can't know how this change will affect her." She thought a little more before speaking again.  
  
"Even though it would be probable for her to be more sensitive on these changes than us." She concluded, but somehow she didn't sound satisfied by her own words. It was Skuld turn to pop another disturbing question.  
  
"How come you don't know Onesama? Hasn't this happened before?" Belldandy nodded with her head, only to increase the level of confusion on Keiichi mind.  
  
"It did happen before, but neither I nor you Skuld, were alive by that time. It was long before our own birth. I know what I told you by what I learned on my training as a goddess on Yggdrasil." For some moments, the only thing heard in the room was the sound of the raindrops on the temple and the TV show that was long forgotten.  
  
***** In the out doors a female demon leaped to the temple's roof with an effortless jump. Her clothes were plastered against her body, making her sumptuously curved body seem even more wonderful. Her expression though, was distorted in an angry glare as she listened to the whole conversation below with the aid of a spell.  
  
"Indeed, I'll show you how real demons change. This is something you won't ever learn from any book or teacher from your oh-so-called paradise." She grinned evilly as she headed towards the power cables of the temple.  
  
*****  
  
"So, do you think that this. changing of predominance as you say." Keiichi paused, waiting for a confirmation of Bell that this was she meant before. As soon as the goddess nodded her head in reply he continued.  
  
"Is the cause of Urd's uneasiness?" He questioned, earning a look from Skuld, that apparently was about to ask the same thing. Before Belldandy could come up with an answer the TV turned itself off with a bizarre noise. Both goddesses came to her feet as Keiichi sat there suddenly scared. Skuld took a step forward to the TV set, but stopped still in her tracks when all the power went down and they stood there in complete darkness. Skuld started feeling a little scared too.  
  
"Onesan ?" She called her older sister, who turned alarmingly to the front door when she heard what seemed to be steps on the roof above. When a strong wave of darkness reached her senses the goddess almost lost her balance and leaned on the table for support. Even in the darkness, Keiichi could sense Belldandy's reaction and immediately came to her side. The goddess gasped, surprised for a few seconds, before standing correctly again. She turned to Skuld, who was becoming a little nervous now too.  
  
"Skuld, stay here." She ordered her sister before pushing Keiichi aside and heading towards the door.  
  
"Wait, what are you doing? What's happening?" Keiichi pleaded, following her to the door. He tried to follow her to the outside, where the pouring rain started to moisten Belldandy, but she abruptly turned back and pushed him back inside the house.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you have to stay here" She apologized herself as she locked all the doors and windows of the temple with a quick spell. Murmuring her apologies again she turned around, in time to see a knife flying her way. She quickly ducked as the knife passed, nearly hitting her, and imbibed itself on the wooden door.  
  
*****  
  
Inside, Keiichi tried without success open the door. Running to the back entrance and to all the others exits and ending up with the same result, he started to panic. Skuld stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do.  
  
"Belldandy let me out!!" He screamed to his beloved, hitting the door with his fists. Not succeeding in opening it again, he launched himself against it, again to no avail. Before he could grab a chair and try to break the windows Skuld came to him.  
  
"It's useless; she locked everything up with a spell. You can't get out" She stated, much to the boy's despair, who refused to give up and continued on his mission to help the other goddess. Skuld looked at him angrily before an idea came to her mind and she started running to the stairs, heading for the bathroom, falling countless times on the furniture of the house.  
  
*****  
  
"Mara" Belldandy slowly spoke the demoness name, as a thunder bolt illuminated her features. The demon smiled despite her will to decapitate the other goddess at the very moment. They eyed each other for a few seconds, until Mara slowly raised one hand and pointed at Belldandy. The brown haired goddess didn't had time to blink as Mara took out another knife from her sleeve and thrown it at her. Acting out of pure instinct, Bell took a step aside, though not fastly enough to the dodge the striking object; it managed to let a scratch on her leg before hitting the wooden door like the other one.  
  
Belldandy looked nervously at Mara but nevertheless took a defensive stance. The demon accepted that as an invitation and began throwing more knifes, wearing that devilish smile all the time. Bell made a back flip, avoiding two of the blades and started running in the woods' direction. Mara, on her side, growled audibly when she acknowledged her attacks had missed the target. Scratching her head with another knife she sighed before leaping into the air once again.  
  
Belldandy leaned on a large tree trunk, breathing heavily as she changed to her battle garbs. Trying to locate the demon from her position, she almost cursed when she couldn't spot Mara anywhere. Trying to stabilize her breath she produced a staff from her earring and stood ever so still against the trunk. Not sensing a thing, she tried to sneak a look to her side, only to have a few strands of hair promptly chopped by another knife.  
  
"I'm being hunted." Were her thoughts as she decided to make a dashing run to another tree, miraculously escaping the other strikes. Not knowing the exact location of her attacker she found herself in a very uncomfortable position.  
  
"Why are you here Mara? What do you want?" She asked, trying to get the demon to talk, so she could track her down by her voice. The answer, however, came from a very improbable spot, as Belldandy lunched herself forward to avoid the flying kick that came from above. They stood face to face again, Belldandy all tensed up and waiting for another assault; Mara with a tranquil, yet imposing posture. The demon chuckled quietly, a sinister laugh that made Bell shiver.  
  
"I came for you." She stated matter-of-factly, taking a step forward, and then hell broke loose. The two immortals launched against each other, engaging in a close combat. Mara held one knife in each hand and striked the other women continuously, who managed to block all the attacks with her staff.  
  
Sensing they were too evenly matched with their chosen weapons Mara decided to change to a body combat. She threw a punch to Belldandy, only to have it blocked by the goddess' arm, who, in response launched her a kick. It connected successfully to her stomach, making the demon fly a good three meters back. Before Mara could hit the floor she flipped in the air and as soon as her feet touched the ground she dashed forward, managing to throw a strong hit at Belldandy's stomach, catching her by surprise. She kneeled on the floor and grabbed her aching abdomen, dropping her staff in the mud.  
  
Mara took the opening and kicked the goddess' side violently, sendind Belldandy crashing against a tree. The blue eyed girl coughed blood when her back hit the tree trunk, leaving her a little disoriented. Mara started to chant a spell when she noted her enemy breach, murmuring words accompanied by complicated gestures. Before she could finish her summoning though, a blast of energy hit her from behind, making her loose her concentration and fail in the spell summoning.  
  
She turned around to be faced with Skuld's angry form. The young goddess was shaking visibly, not from the chilling weather, but from both anger and fear. Small teardrops made way down her cheeks only to lose themselves among the raindrops that were falling endlessly on her body.  
  
"Don't hurt my sister, you. you. you. bitch!!!" She screamed angrily, calling forth Noble Scarlet and launching a more powerful attack this time. Mara saw it coming tough, and fired her own energy, canceling the attack. Before she could fire again, she was hit on the back once again, this time by a very powerful blast from Belldandy. Taken off guard for the second time, she was throw against the temple walls, brutally hitting them.  
  
****  
  
Inside the house Keiichi heard the whole fight incapable of doing a thing to help Belldandy. He wore himself tired, trying to open the door and ended up crouching on the floor and sobbing silently. He didn't know where Skuld was until a moment ago when he heard her cry of anger out there. Remembering the goddess had run upstairs not to long ago he assumed she managed to get out there by teletransporting herself through the filled bath. All of a sudden he got up to his feet and started running upstairs himself, tripping on the same things Skuld had previously.  
  
He finally reached Urd's room, where the goddess rested tranquil on her bed. He felt uneasy to see her resting so peacefully despite the storm out there, not to mention Mara's arrival and the occurring fight.  
  
"Urd, wake up." He called her, touching her arm gently. Urd didn't moved, she just laid there without any change of expression. He cupped her cheek with his hand as he sat beside her on the bed.  
  
"Hey, Urd." He said again, this time more eagerly, now worried with the goddess' lack of reaction. Not getting anything in response he grabbed her shoulders and shaked her slightly. Urd murmured something unintelligibly but didn't open her eyes.  
  
"Urd!" He requested her again, but the white haired woman insisted on not moving.  
  
"Damn, Belldandy must have her under some kind of sleeping spell." He thought, but still being determined to obtain help from the remaining goddess, he put one arm around her frame and dragged her all the way to the bathroom. Depositing her unresponsive body in the bath tub that was already filled up with water, thanks to Skuld's earlier actions, he waited for a reaction from Urd's part.  
  
She still didn't move a muscle.  
  
"C'mon Urd, don't let me alone on this." He cried, with tears following suit. Desperate for getting help now he made Urd submerge completely under water for a few seconds. It seemed to work for Urd finally started to shown any signs of activity. Immediately pulling her head of the water to not drown her, Keiichi waited patiently for Urd to open her eyes. She seemed to be slowly returning to consciousness, but it was taking her a little effort to effectively open her eyes and focus her gaze. She seemed drugged, Keiichi thought, but nevertheless a little flash of hope lighted on his heart.  
  
"Yes Urd, open your eyes. It's me, K1." He encouraged her, removing the strands of white hair that were on her face gently. Urd eventually focused on him and looked a bit lost for a few seconds.  
  
"Keiichi. how did I ended up in the bath tub?" she asked disoriented as she tried to get up. Keiichi helped her on her feet and she gladly accepted his offer, not feeling very confident on her ability to walk at the moment. As soon as she got out of the tub a dark wave of energy hit her like a hammer on the head and she almost fell back.  
  
"Mara??!!!" She murmured, aware of the presence of the demon outside the house. She could sense Belldandy battle power high and even Skuld's one.  
  
"They are fighting?" She asked Keiichi, troubled.  
  
"Yes, Belldandy locked me up in here so I can't get out. I have to help her Urd. Skuld went off through the water already. They are in danger out there by themselves." He pleaded her, trying to regain his composure, but failing miserably. Urd immediately understood that Bell locked Keiichi inside the house to prevent him from getting hurt. The same was done to Skuld, but the younger goddess figured out a way to join the battle anyway. She looked Keiichi over carefully before reaching a decision.  
  
"Bell was right. Stay here, you can't help her." She commanded and dematerialized from the bathroom to the outdoors, leaving an even more desperate Keiichi behind.  
  
"No Urd. Don't leave me here." He cried, but too late for the tanned goddess to acknowledge. Falling on his knees he started to sob furiously, feeling miserable for not being capable of helping them.  
  
*****  
  
When Urd materialized herself in the backyard of the temple she didn't had the time to come up with something before a huge explosion took place on the woods ahead of her. Realizing what it was, she dashed to the burnt down trees, only to find Mara arrogant form panting slightly, with a little smoke coming out of her hands. Averting her gaze to the woods she spotted two fallen figures, unconscious and bloodied. She froze, realizing it was Belldandy and Skuld lying there, motionlessly on the ground. Electricity began to run through her veins as she turned to Mara again.  
  
"You. what have you done?" She questioned, pointing at her sisters' still bodies. Even if feeling a bit dazed, she headed in the demoness' direction. Mara sensed the goddess' anger and took a step back.  
  
"Well Urd dear. they wanted to play tough, so I played tough with them." She answered despite the sudden feeling of fear that crept up her being seeing Urd enraged. The white haired woman was visibly shaking, trying to contain her anger and powers in place. Urd balanced a little and lost focus on Mara for a second. The demon arched an eyebrow in confusion, but grinned deviously when she apprehended what was happening.  
  
"Not feeling too well, are we Urd?" She teased, regaining her confidence and getting ready to strike. Urd growled under her breath and readied herself as well. Mara knew she just had to push the goddess to lose her control and attack her mercilessly to win the battle. Urd didn't ratiocinated that well when angered.  
  
"I'll make you scream, just like your little sister screamed when I hit her." She chuckled under her breath, but soon found herself coughing blood as Urd's punch connected with her torso, breaking a few ribs in the process. The infuriated goddess hit her with a combination of attacks that left Mara too stunned a chance to respond. Falling face fault in the ground she became conscious that she must have gone a little too far with her scheme, making Urd lose her head like that. She soon got to her feet and the two engaged in a body combat, throwing punches and kicks at each other with unbelievable speed.  
  
Mara managed to hit Urd's jaw, throwing the already disoriented goddess back a few steps. Whatever was keeping Urd from attacking with her full power, Mara thanked it. Taking advantage of the blow, she managed to connect a strong kick to her ribs, smiling in satisfaction when she heard the bones cracking in the process. Urd was sent back against a tree trunk and broke it in half 'cause of the blow's power. She was far from being defeated though, as she got up to her feet and jumped towards Mara, making her fly towards the temple's walls with a flying kick.  
  
Mara lost her air when she too hit the wall, her vision starting to get blurry in front of her. In the verge of unconsciousness, she watched Urd float in the air, beginning to call forth powerful lighting strike. Leaning on the window frame to get up she spotted a knife carved in the window's protection, probably from her previous missed attacks to Belldandy.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" She called, grabbing the knife and dashing with her last strengths to Urd's floating figure.  
  
All seemed to happen in slow motion then.  
  
Belldandy woke up from her unconscious state and, sensing the incredibly amount of energy Urd was gathering in her hands and Mara's upcoming attack, screamed at her sister for attention. Urd was distracted hearing Belldandy voice and stopped the eminent attack, opening her closed eyes to see Mara's face next to her. She didn't felt the blade entering her body, burying itself deep in her torso.  
  
"Got you." Mara murmured in her hears, trusting the blade forward again, this time piercing Urd body from one side to the other. Urd's eyes widened in surprise as she remained motionless, letting off a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her arms fell to her side, as she started gasping for precious air. Her vision fastly became unclear.  
  
Belldandy mouth gaped when she saw the drops of blood falling on the ground from the blade that sprouted from Urd's back. Not wanting to believe her eyes, she froze there, unable to do anything.  
  
Mara finally removed the blade from Urd's torso, throwing it to the ground bellow, and grabbed the now limping from of the goddess by her collar. She smiled again, tasting the scent of victory beforehand.  
  
"What should I do with you now huh?" She asked with gleaming eyes, loving to see Urd fighting to regain some stability in her hands. She dropped her body, kicking it before it reached the ground. Urd coughed more blood when she hit the cold floor, unable to stand. Mara descended to her level and continued the round of kicks and punches on her already unresponsive body. After making Urd fly around a bit more the demoness judged it was enough and lifted Urd's bloodied body from the ground, making the goddess face her.  
  
"Seems like her highness' not on a good day." She tormented her a bit more, observing Urd's limping body. A steady line of blood made way down Urd's left eyebrow to her collarbone. The goddess' eyes, which were almost closed by, now brightened with a strange glow, making Mara quiet for a while. She regained her composure though, sensing a strong wave of dark power emit from Urd's faint aura.  
  
"Touchy, aren't we?" Mara provoked her more before something inside her finally clicked and she smiled even more deviously than before. Holding Urd safe in her arms she approached her face to hers, her noses almost touching. Slowly she descended to Urd's neck, planting small kisses on the wet skin. Urd shivered, despite being on the verge of unconsciousness  
  
"Looks like someone here is having difficulty in controlling the demon inside." Mara's warm breath on Urd's cold skin made her almost faint.  
  
"Let me help you." She softly spoke only to her ears, buring her fangs deep down the goddess flesh. As the blood began to flow into her mouth Mara was delighted to taste the exotic taste of the hybrid princess of Hell.  
  
Urd didn't even flinch when Mara bite her neck, falling unconscious against the demon's body without uttering a word. Mara drank some more, finally letting go of the out cold goddess' neck and held her body against her for some seconds, with a blank expression on her face.  
  
Belldandy understood all too well what happened, and finally snapped when Urd's unmoving body was dropped to the ground.  
  
Getting up, she only remembered screaming a bloody cry before emitting a wave of power that blinded her for the next moments. When she oponed her eyes, Mara was nowhere to be seem. She kneeled herself and started crying in the very moment.  
  
To be continued 


	4. chapter 3

Maktub  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Urd...."  
  
Peorth yelled in her mind as she woke up in a start. The only thing that kept her from screaming her companion's name aloud was her self-discipline. She was sweating badly, her thin clothes plastered against her body, her hair following accord on her face. The black haired woman looked around her, only to find herself lying in her bed. The room was dark, the only source of light being a little lamp placed on the opposite wall. It took her a few moments to realize she just had a dream.  
  
"It was just a dream. Get a hold of yourself." Peorth thought, but the terrible feeling she had when she thought she saw Urd being stabbed didn't left her mind. Moving herself to a sitting position on her bed a glint from a ring on her left hand caught her attention. Even in the utter darkness the golden ring shined, bringing a sad smile to Peorth features. She suddenly felt very cold, when what seemed like a breeze passed in the room. Peorth embraced herself and brought her satin covers up again.  
  
"Strange. there can't be cold here in Yggdrasil." She wondered, closing her eyes. All of a sudden a young goddess broke into her room, seeming very nervous and disturbed.  
  
"Lady Peorth!! Wake up!" The girl cried with a dim voice. Peorth averted her eyes from the sudden source of light that invaded her room, but not before she could recognize the female standing there. It was the sysop that was replacing her this night, so that she could grab a little sleep. Ever since the balance on Earth was disturbed she had to make extra hours. Despite not being pleased, Peorth understood all too well and never complained about her exaggerated labor.  
  
Nevertheless she still had her limits, and tonight she needed her rest.  
  
"I'm up. I'm up. What's the matter?" She finally said, starting to lazily get out of bed.  
  
"We crashed." Was all the young goddess managed to say before Peorth's head jerked up. She stared at the more inexperienced sysop with wide eyes, her mouth a little open. Taking a deep breath Maya entered Peorths' room, her eyes seeming glued to the floor the whole time.  
  
"There was an accident on Earth." She almost whispered, like she was afraid to speak the words, as if what she was about to say would become real if she pronounced it. Peorth started to tremble slightly, her gaze now distracted on the figure standing before her.  
  
"An accident? Anything that mortals could do can't make Yggdrasil crash. That leaves only." Before she could concluded her line of thought the other sysop interrupted her, and this time Peorth looked expectantly at her. She could almost hear the words before they could come out of the girl's mouth. Her heart beat so hard against her chest it almost hurt.  
  
"There was a fight. the Norns battled with some beserk demon.." A pause before she lifted her gaze to met Peorths'. Her breathing seemed to get faster as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.  
  
"The Halfling.." She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence as Peorth jumped from her sitting position on her bed and sprinted to the control room of Yggdrasil.  
  
**********  
  
Keiichi kneeled against the front door, sobbing heavily when a sudden flash of light caught his attention. Lifting up his head he half expected to see Belldandy standing in front of him, with a reassuring smile on her delicate features, telling him that is was all alright now. Despite his vision being fogged up by the tears, he could tell nobody was there. The fast smile that appeared on his face soon vanished, as he dropped his head once again in his hands.  
  
"Belldandy." His fiancée's name escaped his lips, as the young boy started to rock himself, face deep buried in his hands.  
  
*click*  
  
"Huh?" Keiichi stopped weeping for an instant in the moment he heard the sound. Silencing his own sobs so that he could be aware of the surrounding noises, he soon came to a captivate conclusion.  
  
There was no sound at all.  
  
Since after the explosion of light, not even the sound of a mosquito passing by could be heard. He fastly associated the lack of noise with the end of the battle and rose up to try open the door again. Grabbing the knob, he turned it around, gasping in sheer surprise when the door in fact opened.  
  
The pouring rain that insisted on falling from the dark, clouded sky soon drenched his cloths, his face and hair, cleaning the remaining tears of his cheeks. He stood perfectly still for a few moments, as if his mind was trying to put itself together. He mentally prepared himself for coming across with horrid images.  
  
Unfortunately, all the mental preparation in the world would've never been enough to offer him calmness on the things he was about to testify.  
  
Deciding to move and find out where Belldandy was, he started to take slow and unsure steps towards the backyard garden. Looking around the outside walls of the temple he could see blood sprayed everywhere. Knifes were stuck in the wooden doors and closed windows. Trees were broken in half or painted in red. The grass was also reddish, seeming torn in a few spots. It looked like a football match had just taken place here. A chill ran down his spine and Keiichi could not prevent but embrace himself, the idea of someone getting injured in the recent fight haunting his thoughts.  
  
He prayed that all that blood belonged to Mara. even if he didn't wish for the demoness to be harmed, he certainly did not wished it for the goddess. _Especially_ Belldandy. Deep on his mind he knew that something must have happened to her though, or, by this time, the cheering goddess would have returned to him.  
  
Trying to shake that notion off of his head he proceeded on his walk, turning around a corner as he thought he listened to a soft weeping. His eyeballs almost popped out of its cavity and his breathing almost ceased when his brain registered what he was seeing before him.  
  
Urd laid there, unmoving on the damped soil, platinum hair dyed with blood, cloths tattered and muddy. His eyes came to rest on a nearby abandoned knife, it also enclosed with the red fluid.  
  
His stomach turned around inside of him and for a moment Keiichi considered throwing up. Turning his head to the woods though, he soon forgot his sick stomach and ran to the weeping form of Belldandy, kneeled beside a dead tree.  
  
"Belldandy!" He cried his lover's name, kneeling beside her, holding her body softly against his own.  
  
"Keiichi." She wept on his shirt, hiding her face on the curve of his neck. She was trembling like a 5 years old child that had just experienced a bad dream and woke up startled and lost. He wondered if it was due to fear, worry ness, or in the furthest chance, cold from the bad weather. He just tightened his grip around her, as if saying he was there, and it was all over now.  
  
Before he could come up with something to say a fallen body moved on his left side, almost hidden from view by branches and leaves. He turned his head in surprise, his own body stiffening. For a single moment, he thought Mara could be around, but as soon he spotted the dark mane of hair he gasped in surprise and widened his eyes.  
  
"Skuld!" He cried her name, making Belldandy head jerk upwards. She had almost forgotten about her other sister after what she had just witnessed. With tears still flowing freely from her eyes she broke from Keiichi embrace and went to Skulds' side. The named goddess was lying on her back, with one arm trying to hold the tree trunk that threatened to fall at any second.  
  
"Help me, Keiichi." She called the young man, moving to grab the trunk with both arms and dislocating it from Skulds' way. With Keiichi's help she finally moved, letting the heavy piece of wood fall unceremoniously on the ground besides her. Kneeling herself on the ground she helped Skuld into a sitting position, removing the wet hair that blocked Skulds' sight from her eyes.  
  
"Onesama! Thank God!" Skuld whispered weakly and threw herself in Belldandy's open arms, crying her eyes out. Keiichi patted her on the head and hugged her from behind, trying to comfort both goddesses.  
  
"Are you hurt Skuld?" Keiichi inquired, though he obtained no answer. Skuld just limited herself to cry heavily on her sister's silent form, the only sounds coming from her mouth being incoherent words and tearful cries. He looked Belldandy in the eyes, as if asking for help on this situation. She returned the helpless look, not knowing what to do herself. Lifting Skuld up in her arms, never breaking the embrace, she started to walk to Urd's side, which lay on the wet floor with her back turned against them. Keiichi followed quietly behind, eyes downcast and hands limply beside him.  
  
"Neesan.?" Belldandy mentally called, stopping before her sister fallen body.  
  
Nothing...  
  
Handing Skuld to Keiichi, who carefully placed his arms around Skuld's sobbing form, she kneeled on the muddy floor and leaned forward, one hand supporting her weight as the other moved to turn Urd to face her. Belldandy resisted the urge to close her eyes in disgust when her sister's delicate face finally came into view. A river of blood descended from the elder goddess mouth, eyebrow and neck, forming a pool of the red substance in the ground around her. Fresh tears made way down Belldandy cheeks when she moved her hand to Urd torso, where her hands could feel the warm flowing blood and the deep gash on her flesh.  
  
"Urd?" She called, the name seeming to escape unwanted from her lips. Skuld, who had her face hidden in Keiichi abdomen, soon became aware of her sister and turned around abruptly, tears still fogging her vision. Instead of being amused by it, Skuld almost wished to be blind at that time.  
  
"Urd?" Belldandy tried again, cupping the divinity's cheek in her hand. The pouring rain fell cold-heartedly on them, as if trying to clean the blood from their battled bodies, but failing miserably. When she didn't get any response, she finally brought Urds' body up to her, hugging her sister urgently and hiding her face in the platinum hair.  
  
"Oneesan?" Skuld cried, with fresh, new tears blurring her sight as she made mention to move forward. Two hands stopped her though, grabbing her by the shoulders. It only made Skuld cry even harder, as she started to struggle to get free from Keiichi strong grip on her.  
  
"Let me go!! URD!" She screamed helpless, turning around and throwing uncoordinated punches and slaps at Keiichi, that didn't budge a finger to stop her.  
  
"Go ahead. Spank me if it makes you feel better." Despite the ironic tone of the sentence Keiichi voice only carried love and comfort on it, making Skuld eventually stop her assault and throw herself in the boy's arms, crying and sobbing uncontrollably, as it was the only thing she could do at the moment. Keiichi placed his arms around her and lifted her up, almost looking fatherly at the young goddess.  
  
Belldandy's silent weep caught his attention again, as she somewhat struggled to lift Urd in her arms. With a visibly effort she started to walk towards the temple, her own injuries threatening to make her pass out at any moment. Her lover pursued her wordlessly, carrying Skuld along with him.  
  
They eventually reached the house, Belldandy instantly going upstairs while Keiichi headed for his room and placed Skuld on his bed.  
  
"Stay here for a while ok?" He pleaded her, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. Skuld only nodded, not even bothering to look up to meet Keiichi's eyes. He soon came back with a first kit aid and swiftly started to clean her wounds, which on better view didn't seemed that bad. Some major cuts on her arms and legs, but nothing to be alarmed. Noticing Skuld tremble under his touch, he placed his blanket over her shoulders, removing her wet jacket beforehand. He soon resumed his work, adding some alcohol on a few cotton balls, and applying them on the bruises.  
  
Despite hurting like hell, not even a sound of pain escaped Skulds' lips.  
  
To be continued. 


	5. chapter 4

Authors note: A little warning here. I'll be distorting some things from the original manga ahead, so don't e-mail me saying "This doesn't happens in the manga" ok? I'm only doing this for fun. And 'cause it's a personal gift for the Evil_Sick_cow. Worship her. she's my inspiration. Oh well, off with this crap.. On with the show. DON'T FORGET TO WATCH NOIR!!!!!!! ( KIRIKA RULZ )  
  
Maktub  
  
Chapter 4  
  
After about half an hour cleaning and disinfecting Skuld's wounds, Keiichi thought he had done a fine job, considering the medical utensils he possessed. Skuld stood motionless the whole time, head down, hair covering her features like a black wall. The dim light he got from a couple of candles weren't of much help either. Despite not being able to see her face, Keiichi could tell the girl was crying. Putting the cotton balls and stuff aside, he sat himself beside Skuld, pulling her for an embrace.  
  
"Sshhh. it's alright. Things are going to be alright." He whispered to her, even if he didn't really believed in his own words.  
  
The girl didn't moved for some few seconds, but then she decided to give in and returned the embrace. Keiichi smiled sadly in response, as he himself had to hold back tears that were fighting for their way out of his eyes.  
  
*trimmm*  
  
The sound of the front bell caught his attention, and he calmly stood up, leaving Skuld to cry on her futon, the tears now momentarily forgotten. As soon as Keiichi left the room however, he sprinted madly to the door, hitting some loose things and cursing all the way long..  
  
"Megumi. thank goddess." He stated as he hastily opened the door, revealing a very wet Megumi outside. From the look she had on her face, she didn't seem very pleased.  
  
"I hope you have a very good explanation for this, brother. It's fucking 3 o'clock in the morning!" She declared, not even giving the chance for Keiichi to respond, before she stepped inside the house, pushing the boy aside and closing the door immediately behind her.  
  
"And don't you dare tell me you called 'cause there was a power failure!" Her angry tone made Keiichi wonder if he had done the right thing calling her in a time like this. Rubbing his temples he tried to ratiocinate, in the dark, for a second.  
  
"We were attacked." He regreted his choice of words even before he spoke them, but right now he just couldn't think of an excuse for what he was about to show her.  
  
"What? You were attacked? By a burglar? Are the girls alright?" Her babbling didn't help Keiichi a sightless bit, so he decided to show her some things, instead of trying to explain. The fact that Megumi wasn't aware of the divine origins of the girls living with him made things a lot more complicated for him as well. Grabbing her hand he led her to the kitchen, where he searched for a couple of extra candles.  
  
"No, it wasn't a burglar. And no Megumi, the girls aren't alright." Lighting up the candles his sister's shocked face came into view for eyes that were tired of that expression for the past day. She covered her gapped mouth with her hand, as Keiichi started to lead them to another place.  
  
"I called you 'cause I need you to take care of Skuld for me. Belldandy is upstairs with Urd, I need to give her assistance." His voice held a somewhat urgent tone as he proceeded on his explanations making Megumi even more worried about everything. They eventually reached Keiichis' room and, making sign for her to come in, he turned his back, preparing to leave. Megumi held him in place though, turning the boy to face her.  
  
"Listen to me" Her voice was very demanding, despite the fact she was whispering the words so that Skuld couldn't hear them out.  
  
"I don't know what happened here, but I trust you to aid Belldandy in whatever she needs. I know there are things you're not telling me, but I'll have to assume you'll explain yourself later ne?" Keiichi's eyes met hers, starting to water up. She clasped him in a tight embrace, rubbing his wet hair, encouraging.  
  
"I'll be right here if you need me. Don't hesitate to call me if you need a pair of helping hands ok?" She murmured, kissing Keiichi's forehead before entering the room. Keiichi stood paralyzed for two seconds, then, he remembered Belldandy was waiting for him. Turning around, he rapidly wipped the tears from his cheeks and darted to Belldandys' room.  
  
*******  
  
Belldandy drenched another towel in clean water for the fifth time since she started to tend Urd's wound. The elder goddess was lying down on Belldandys' futon, with only a top shirt and a jacket over her upper body. The blouse she was previously wearing had been stripped off by Belldandy, in order to her have a better view of the wound.  
  
"Hang in there Urd." Belldandy mentally called, applying the wet towel on the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. In the darkened room, she couldn't see her sister's features, who had her face turned to one side, hiding it from view, but Belldandy prayed for Urd to open her eyes. Touching her bloodied cheek with her palm she noticed how cold Urd was despite the dry jacked that she made her wear.  
  
"Neesan. onegai." She pleaded once more, returning her attention to her torso. All of a sudden Keiichi broke into the room, his breathing a little irregular, as if he had been running.  
  
"Keiichi. Is Skuld alright?" Was Belldandy's first question, her worry over her younger sister coming back to her again. An affirmative nod from Keiichi eased her somehow, as the boy slowly seated himself besides Urd, facing her.  
  
"I called Megumi. She's taking care of Skuld right now." He softly spoke as he grabbed a piece of torn cloth and started to clean the flowing blood from Urd's exposed neck. The two little holes carved in her flesh seemed pretty deep and a large amount of blood was escaping through it. The idea that it seemed like a vampires' biting didn't left his mind. Lifting his gaze to check on Belldandy silent figure also cleaning Urd's wounds gave him the courage to go on.  
  
"She's going to be alright. There were only a few major cuts. She's a tough girl, she can handle it." He declared, grasping one bloodied hand and squeezing it. Belldandy weakly returned the gesture, as if a burden had been taken from her shoulders. Both of them returned their attention to Urd once again, and Keiichi noted a frown from Belldandy when the goddess touched Urd's ribcage with her fingers.  
  
"Can't you help her with your powers?" He asked, as a tear escaped from Belldandy eyes unnoticed.  
  
"No." Was her dry reply.  
  
"What was made by a demon can't be undone by a goddess. Our holy powers won't be of any help." An unsure pause. "Goddess can't heal damage made physically by a demon. Mara didn't use her powers to cause all of this mess." She finished, turning her hands into fists.  
  
"How can I help you?" He inquired, feeling somewhat powerless to cheer Belldandy. He sensed her disappointment in not being able to help her sister the way she wished to, but there wasn't much he could do either. Taking some deep breaths she closed her eyes as she tried to put her thoughts in order.  
  
"See if you can restore the power. We'll be needing it." It was more like a plead than a request, but Keiichi decided not to bother her about it and promptly stood up. Not bothering to close the door he went to his room to grab a coat, momentarily forgetting about his sister and Skuld there.  
  
"I just came to grab something to wear." He explained to Megumi, very surprised to see Skuld in her arms, seeming somehow asleep.  
  
"She must have used too much of her powers in the fight." He thought, though he didn't dared to say it aloud.  
  
"Go on, I have everything under control here. She fell asleep as soon as I arrived." She quietly stated, totally unaware of the real reasons behind the little girl's sleepiness. For a brief moment Keiichi actually thought it was really luck for Skuld to be out right now. Without uttering a word he left the temple, cursing the rain that persisted on falling upon his head.  
  
*****  
  
Despite being unconscious Urd could feel her whole body aching all over. It was more like her very soul was hurting, as what seemed like electric shocks traveled through her being from times to time. In her turbulent state she considered giving up and stop fighting the constants jolts of pain, but as soon as her last energies started to fade, images started to form in her mind.  
  
******  
  
"Hi honey. it's time of your meal" A soft voice spoke and Urd opened her eyes to come face to face with locks of platinum hair.  
  
"Hild?" The name came unwanted to her, but as bad as Urd wanted to swear over it, she couldn't deny the wonderful sensation she felt that time. Being cuddled in a strong embrace, an azure blanked wrapped carefully around her petit form, protecting her from any cold breeze. The feeling of utter peace was so great that Urd ceased to think for a few seconds, completely absorbed.  
  
It didn't last long though, as Urd felt the area changing.  
  
The body next to her was no more, and she once more opened her eyes, which she didn't even remember having closed, to look up at a dozen of Gods and Demons scattered around an ample room.  
  
"God protect us." One of the gods murmured, as for some strange reason Urd felt a sickening feeling in her stomach. Looking around a second time she became aware of at least seven corpses laying on the ground, all of them bloodied and disfigured.  
  
Despite not having a single drop of blood on her hands, Urd knew instantly that it was she who had killed them.  
  
On the other side of the room two tall men made their way to her, stopping a few meters from where she was standing, mouth slightly open and eyes wide open. She looked up to their faces, hoping to recognize one of them, without any success. All she could tell is that they were Gods, from the facial markings they bore. Not knowing exactly why, she suddenly felt scared. Before she could understand what was happening though, both gods started to chant, forming a complex mandala on the floor under her feet.  
  
Her child form screamed in agony as soon as their powers entered her body, paralyzing her instantly. She tried to debate, but she couldn't simply found a way to break the spell.  
  
"Kaasan." She mentally called, but to no answer. All she could wonder now was why this happening to her.  
  
Before she passed out though, she spotted a figure through teary eyes. The last image she remembered of was one of her mother on the other side of the room with her back turned against her.  
  
*****  
  
"Ugh." A moan of pain escaped Urd's lips, catching Belldandy off guard. She immediately dropped the towels and rushed to her sister side, holding her head in her lap.  
  
"Urd?" She called out aloud, but again no answer came. The tanned goddess refused to open her eyes and her clenched teeth and slightly gasping breath only helped to make Belldandy even more nervous. Not wanting to give up she grabbed a few bandages and immediately started to wrap her sister's torso.  
  
"Please, hurry up Keiichi." She pleaded as the once white bandage soon became dyed in red.  
  
*****  
  
A sea of trees was all she could see, whatever was the direction she looked. Walking with unheard steps through the woods she barely had time to duck as an arrow passed near her head, cutting a few strands of hair in it way. Her calm walking quickly turned into a race as she tried to run from an approaching wave of arrows flying in her direction.  
  
"Dammed" She cursed under her breath as she felt something scratch her cheek. Not even bothering to turn her back she fired a few thunder bolts, bringing down some trees along with some stealth figures. A dozen came down in the next ten minutes, as Urd fired thunder bolts everywhere and engaged some others in hand to hand combat. After some time, she stood perfectly still, frozen among the trees, bodies surrounding her. For a single moment she thought it was over, when a piercing arrow on her left shoulder convinced her otherwise.  
  
"Caught you!" A mocking voice came from behind, but too soon crying for victory. Urd leaped in the air, executing a few back flips as she clasped a black haired women from behind. She was standing on a thick branch of a high tree and didn't expect for Urd to find her so quickly. While trying to get free from the tight clasp Urd had around her waist Peorth ended up making them both falling from the tree. She didn't regret it that much though, as she had the luck to fall upon Urd soft body. If it wasn't for the gasp of air Urd let go, Peorth could swear her companion didn't even felt the fall. Before she could move to attack Urd, profiting from her better position, she found the point of her arrow touching her neck. A smile formed on her lips.  
  
"Finish this." Urd whispered and it was only now that Peorth noticed the rapid and unstable breathing. She chanted a few words and all her surroundings slowly dissipated in a large bright room. The once threatening arrow on her shoulder disappeared, as well as all of her wounds, like on everybody else. Everybody was back on their feet and left as if nothing had happened at all. Everybody but Peorth, who was still laying upon Urd fallen figure.  
  
"Sshh, it's over now. It was only a training program Urd." She tried to calm the other goddess, as she calmly ran a hand through the platinum hair. The tanned woman seemed to calm down after a few seconds.  
  
"It seems some of your friends didn't face this as only a training though." She whispered, bringing her fingers to her cheek, where a fine cut could be seen. Peorth grabbed her hand and gently pushed it aside, chanting a healing spell soon after. Not even a single scar remained on Urd's velvet skin.  
  
"Don't take this too seriously, please. They are not worth the trouble." She stated as she cupped Urd's face in her hand, obliging making the other goddess face her. Their eyes met for an instant as Peorth descend her face ever so slowly towards Urd, their lips finally touching in a gentle kiss.  
  
******  
  
Keiichi smiled in satisfaction as he replaced the last wires and turned the power switch on, making the temple's lights come to life once again.  
  
"I'm done here." He murmured to himself, closing the generator door and heading for the temple.  
  
In Belldandys' room, the blue eyed goddess also smiled when the lights turned on, allowing her to have a better look on what she was doing. The worried look returned to her face as soon as it disappeared though, as Urd's unstable breathing seemed to get worse.  
  
******  
  
A white room. A lot of pain.  
  
That was all Urd could see and sense that very moment. Her father stood in front of her, his stoic face sad and somewhat worried. The very image of her father with such an expression was enough to surprise Urd endlessly. Never in her life had she seen the Almighty with such feelings visible, not to mention towards her.  
  
"No." She said through clenched teeth as she felt what was like her soul tearing itself apart inside her body. She could almost feel the dark energy struggling to gain control over her body, only to have her counterpart fight back. Unlike the others quarrels she had experienced internally, this one was a much more violent one, as if her very soul had split and was physically attacking each other.  
  
"Noooooo" She implored as she fell to her knees, embracing herself. The levels of energy she was using to contain her own dark essence in place was overbearing, to a point where she already had no control on the amount of energy she was using. The result was her body being constantly assaulted by overbearing pain. Raw power that was running through her, threatening to overflow at any second. Her father stood beside her the whole time, though he didn't move a finger to try and help her.  
  
Despite everything, Urd wondered if he could really help her.  
  
******  
  
Keiichi soon arrived at Belldandy's room and was a little confused to see Urd's gasping figure.  
  
"What's happening?" He asked as he almost dived to Belldandy side, who had a blank expression on her face.  
  
"I don't know." Was her reply, but Keiichi knew her fiancée knew more than she was telling. They resumed the work to bandage Urd's torso carefully as well to tend her others injuries. About twenty minutes later though, Urd let out a pained groan as what seemed like electricity ran through her body.  
  
"Belldandy!" Keiichi called surprised, but the other goddess seemed even more surprised than him. She looked paralyzed as she stared at Urd with her mouth slightly open.  
  
******  
  
"Lady Peorth, we're detecting a strong energy gathering in the temple area." A sysop announced, immediately catching the spaced off goddess' attention. Turning herself to face Ere, she took a close look to the monitor, noticing the energy scale rising rapidly.  
  
"It seems like it's both divine and unholy energy madam'" Chrono carefully choose her words as she didn't understand her monitor readings as well.  
  
"Could it be that they have resumed the fight with Mara?" She asked, arching an eyebrow when the younger goddess made a negative signal.  
  
"It seems like the energy is coming from the same source. Like it is one person liberating them both." She stated, almost afraid of her sentence. To her, it sounded like madness. To Peorth though, it made perfect sense, even if she begged it didn't.  
  
"Do we have enough power to transfer me to Earth?" She asked as she returned to her command chair and pushed some buttons. The sysop nodded, eying Peorth suspiciously as she grabbed a small vial with a transparent liquid inside that came into existence from Peorths' chair.  
  
"Do it." She demanded, as she put the object in her waist, tying it firmly.  
  
"But." The other tried to counter, only to be harshly interrupted by Peorth angry voice.  
  
"Do it now!" The three minor sysops immediately started to push buttons like mad woman and in the next instance, Peorth was teleported to the Earth temple. Her last thought before she felt her body dissipating was that she couldn't be too late.  
  
*****  
  
Back to Belldandys' room, Urds' breathing was even more vacillating as the goddess desperately tried to pull some air into her lungs. The energy running through her body seemed to increase, making all the bulbs of light of the room explode, leaving them once more in the dark. Keiichi promptly stood up and lighted a few candles he had brought up just in case the power failed them again. The little light provided by those bathed Urds' body, revealing the thin sweat that covered her entirely. Whatever was happening, to Keiichi it seemed almost like Urd was trying to fight something back.  
  
*thump*  
  
A loud noise downstairs caught Keiichi concentration as he made a move towards the door. Before he could even take a step forward, Belldandy opened the room door, revealing a wet Peorth standing outside. The brown eyed goddess didn't even took knowledge of their presence as she fixed her eyes on Urd's laying form on the futon.  
  
"Help her, Peorth." Belldandy murmured tiredly, stepping aside and giving room for the other goddess to enter. Once again Peorth totally ignored them, moving slowly to Urd's side, kneeling beside her. Urd let go another cry of pain as another wave of energy washed her body, arching her back and grabbing her chest. For a single moment leaf green eyes opened, seeming totally lost in pain. Belldandy resisted the urge to turn her face away. Keiichi followed accord, though he didn't stop himself from closing his eyes. Peorth put a supporting hand on her back, lifting her slightly in her direction. Untying the vial from her waist she uncorked it, turning Urd's face towards her. Unfocused green eyes barely opened met determined brown ones.  
  
"Trust me." She murmured only to her ears, letting the transparent liquid flow to her mouth and catching Urds' lips in her own right away. Both Belldandy and Keiichi surprised gasps could be heard in the background, although one couldn't tell if it was from Peorth's startling move or Urd's breathing calming down and her falling peaceful sleep, free of any kind of pain.  
  
To be continued. 


	6. chapter 5

I don't know what happened, really! I uploaded the document as I always do, but when I came to check it out, half of it was missing!! (no wonder almost anyone liked it ^^U ). anyway, sorry for this.  
  
This is the _real_ (and complete) chapter 5. hope u guys enjoy it.  
  
Remember. R&R are always welcomed  
  
Maktub  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Peorth opened her eyes ever so slowly, not daring to even breathe as she eyed Urd's reaction. The black haired goddess felt like crying, both of joy and sadness, when she noticed her companion pain subsiding. A few drops of rain fell from her wet hair on Urd's cheeks and Peorth swiftly dried them with her palm, a sad smile finally becoming visible on her features. An urge to embrace Urd right there and then, cradle her in her arms, came to her but she resisted the temptation, remembering the audience behind her that was surely expecting some explanations. She carefully placed the other goddess' head on her pillow again and turned around to face the other two occupants of the room. Two pair of eyes stared at her wide open, somewhat surprised, scared and unsure at the same time...  
  
"Is she alright?" A male voice cut through the silence, and Peorth was slightly admired that Keiichi managed to find his voice before Belldandy.  
  
She hesitated a little before answering, stealing a side glance to check on Urd, as if she wanted to be sure she was still breathing.  
  
"For now, yes." She reassured him, but Belldandy could sense the uncertainity in her voice. Before she could come up with an inquiry of her own her body gave into tiredness, her eyes closing without warning. The darkness came unwanted to her, and Belldandy couldn't help but feel somehow selfish to faint in a time like this, with her sisters needing her help. A pair of hands caught her before she could hit the ground, and that was the last thing Belldandy's mind registered before drifting off to a dreamless sleep.  
  
"It's all right..." Peorth answered even before Keiichi could come up with a question, reading the boy's thoughts. His eyes darted between her and Belldandy, somewhat unsure of the truthfulness of Peorth's last remark.  
  
"How can you be sure?" He finally voiced his fear, grabbing a nearby blanket and placing it around his girlfriend's sleeping form. Peorth seemed to be amused by his ignorance as she turned her gaze to Belldandy. She didn't need a second look to confirm that the other goddess had fainted from exhaustion.  
  
"She just overly used her powers K-boy." She replied, getting up from Urd's side and kneeling beside Belldandy.  
  
"Help me carry her to your room. I'll be needing some space." Keiichi nodded his head in response, lifting Belldandy's legs as Peorth lifted her by the shoulders. Together they made their way to Keiichi's room and placed Belldandy carefully on the single futon.  
  
"Change her clothes and clean her up. Call me if you need me." Peorth commanded, turning her back on him and heading to the door. A gasp from the mortal caught her attention as she turned around, finding Keiichi frozen in the same position as before. He noticed the look she was giving him but didn't find the words to voice his thoughts.  
  
Peorth eyed him suspiciously for a second before coming to a conclusion of what he was thinking.  
  
"Don't tell me you can't do it." She stated matter-of -factly, crossing her arms. The boy looked embarrassed for a second, his cheeks turning some grades of pink.  
  
"It's not that. it's just." He tried to defend himself, to no success. Peorth's intent look on him seemed to deepen as she spoke, this time her voice showing some signs of impatience.  
  
"Look, don't give me that talk now ok? Just do as I say." Keiichi immediately started his task as Peorth finally reached the door and left without adding a word. While stripping Belldandy of her torn clothes he couldn't help but think that he'd never seen Peorth this serious, or even real annoyed at him before. The uncomfortable feeling wasn't forgotten as he carried away his given job, only to be shared by his worry towards Belldandy's faint figure.  
  
******  
  
Deep down in Hell, in a cold room, nude of any color or accessory laid the battled figure of Mara. Her blood dirtied the floor around her as it insisted on flowing through her wounds. Cornering herself against the walls Mara hugged herself, trying to use the last bit of strength left in her body to heal some of her lesions.  
  
"That bloody Belldandy!" She cursed in her mind, rocking her body back and forth. Her lips trembled from cold, trying her best to warm herself up by running her hands against her arms and legs. Spotting an unseen chair in the far corner of the dark room she smiled in satisfaction as she lifted up a finger towards the object. The chair started to float in the air and moved itself to Mara's side obediently. With a gesture of her finger the chair fell in pieces on the floor, its remainings turning on fire seconds after. Mara contently moved closer to the fire, seeking some missed warm. Her mind relaxed as she finally managed to stop shivering, her wounds healing and closing as some of her strength was brought back to her body. She soon closed her eyes and waited for sleep to catch her up while she continued healing herself.  
  
*fshh*  
  
The sound of the flame dying and the only source of light being taken from her made Mara's head jerk up instinctively. Crimson eyes scanned the room for any sign of movement, stopping dead on their tracks when a tall shadowed figure moved in her direction. The face of the Devil came into view finally when the figure stopped close to her crouched form.  
  
Mara's throat went dry without her noticing it. The air almost refused entering her lungs when she finally apprehended her Lord's features.  
  
Hild was enraged.  
  
******  
  
Peorth gently touched Urd's cheek with the palm of her hand, healing some minor bruises along the way.. at least the ones that weren't inflicted by Mara's bare hands. She studied the other goddess' breathtaking features for a while, her own heart in turmoil inside her chest.  
  
"Why you, of all people?" She couldn't say for sure if she said it aloud, but that was what crossed her mind that minute. Her hand traveled from Urd's cheek to stroke her hair, making Peorth almost lose herself in the returning loving sensations. So much she craved to touch her again, and for a brief instant Peorth was afraid of losing control of her own actions. The thought that perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to be left alone with Urd crossed her mind for a split second, but Peorth promptly wiped it away, turning her attention back to the divinity's injuries.  
  
"God!" She whispered when her hand touched her bandaged torso, feeling the wound even through the thick material. Moving her hand to her ribcage she found at least three broken ribs and she internally prayed that it not had pierced through the lungs. Deciding to put her hands at work she started to bandage and disinfect the wounds that wasn't taken care of by Belldandy and Keiichi. A white stripe carefully placed on her eyebrow ended her efforts and Peorth found herself eying Urd longingly once more. The flick of an electric cord caught her attention as she immediately remembered why she'd been so worried in first place.  
  
«It started again, hasn't it.?» She mentally asked Urd, not hoping to obtain any answer in return, and therefore not getting any. Old memories came to her mind, memories so distant that almost felt like from another lifetime.  
  
A time when the world was young, when she didn't carry the burden she carried now upon her shoulders, when she could be true to her feelings and wills. So ancient times that none book or manual in Yggdrasil had records of.  
  
«An age marked by tragic events on both heaven and hell.» a little voice spoke inside her head, uncalled.  
  
Unwanted memories came active once again and it took all of Peorth's strength to pull them back to the confines of her conscious. With a quick spell she changed Urd's torn and wet clothes in a pure white pajama.  
  
It was only then that Peorth became aware of the two small holes on her neck, dried blood adjacent to them. Reaching closer to Urd, she turned her head slightly to one side so that she could have a better view on the two gashes. There was nothing on external view that could confirm her suspects, but still a heavy feeling on her heart insisted to be made present.  
  
«There's no way she could've been poisoned, is there?» She asked herself, while debating on what to do. There was only one way for her to find out, though Peorth wished the contrary fervently. Finally making up her mind she bent closer to Urd's neck, cleaning the dried blood with a wet towel carefully. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she tasted from the wound with her bare lips. The savor of demoniac poison was still strong on the spot, making Peorth back off abruptly. She looked perplexed at Urd's still and passive figure in front of her for a few seconds, trying to order her thoughts.  
  
«She knew. Mara knew. and still she did it.» brown eyes started to tear up as she linked her forehead with Urd's, their goddess markings coming in contact with each other. In the moment the link with the other goddess was opened Peorth could feel some of the internal struggle the half goddess, half demon was suffering.  
  
...  
  
...  
  
It felt like her very soul was being torn apart.  
  
...  
  
.All felt wrong.  
  
...  
  
. All felt alien. ...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...All felt... painful ....  
  
...  
  
..everything represented a threat...  
  
....  
  
Urd's demoniac powers were coming to life once more..  
  
*******  
  
Hild's green eyes, bright with fervent rage in the dark, giving her a more sumptuous and fearful stance than Mara had ever seen. An unfamiliar terror took hold of her soul as Hild lifted her up by her collarbone without ceremony.  
  
"What have you done?" The words were spitten on Mara's face with so much rage that they hit her like a physical blow on the face. Mara's vocal chords seemed to petrify with fear. Not waiting for a reply Hild slamed the minor demoness' body in the wall so harshly that it cracked behind Mara's back.  
  
"MARA!" Hild hissed through clenched teeth, bringing a squeezing hand to the smaller woman's neck. That made the fire eyed demoness wake from her paralyzed condition and she swiftly brought both of her limp hands to Hild's priming one, trying to relieve the pressure on her neck desperately.  
  
Only when Mara's hands lost their grip on the hostile arm and that her eyes started to roll back that the Queen of Hell decided to release her subordinate. She watched the blonde closely as she gasped for air, her patience wearing thin at every passing second. Mara finally found her heart to speak when she observed Hild's silent figure waiting for her response, still holding her body effortlessly in the air.  
  
"I fought Belldandy." she started carefully, avoiding Hild's piercing glare on her all the time. "I won. your Majesty should be pleased." For some reason, Mara thought that whatever brilliant idea she'd come up with, she wouldn't leave the room... not alive, that is.  
  
"And why should I be pleased with that?" The platinum haired demoness inquired with poison in her voice. Mara put on a confused expression, arching one eyebrow at her mistress. Hild's eyes hardened upon her.  
  
"It's my job to make the goddess unhappy, that's why!" She stated, gaining a bit of courage. «..nice going..» Mara thought as she was pressed again, harder and harder, against the stone wall. Breathing became more difficult and Mara wondered if the Queen would really kill her there, in that cold dark room, without having the smallest chance of getaway.  
  
"You bet I do!" Hild declared, reading Mara's mind like an open book. The demoness shivered, no becoming aware of the Daimachiko's ability of reading her thoughts. She suddenly felt very vulnerable in the other female arms.  
  
"What have you done to Urd?" The question came loud and clear, spoke with a grave pitch on her voice. Nervous eyes met Hild's for an instance and there was no way Mara could have foretold the expression now displayed on them.  
  
Hild's eyes no more carried their usual anger and threat. They were vaguely downcast, fixed on the wall behind her and yet seeing nothing at all. For the first time in her existence Mara could tell Hild _felt_ regret and grief.  
  
"I poisoned her." Mara murmured, showing some respect for her Mistress and not having the heart to face her again. To some extent, she was surprised when Hild didn't move a muscle to slam her against the wall again in frustration.  
  
"Why?" The single word was almost forced out of Hild's mouth and the awkwardness in it made Mara start to feel at fault.  
  
And it was simply _not_ habitual in her character.  
  
"She looked like she was loosing to her demon side. I simply used it in my favor." Now she was ashamed of her words, even if she managed to not show it. An uncomfortable silence fell over them and it was only them Mara collected some courage to look at Hild afresh. The unshed tears in the older woman's eyes seemed strongly out of place, yet perfectly natural for some strange reason.  
  
"Do you have any idea of what you've just done?" Hild whispered, still looking at the wall, depression taking over her accent. For an even stranger reason Hild looked like she had just experienced a great defeat. All the displayed emotions on the Daimachiko's features started to unchain a sequence of conflicting feelings on Mara's soul.  
  
She felt confused.  
  
"I enhanced the demoniac influence on her soul..." She answered diplomatically, not having any other satisfactory explanation than an academic one.  
  
"And do you happen to know just _what_ that will do to her?" Mara felt like a kid who was being explained something she couldn't understand. She just couldn't recognize where Hild was trying to get and it made her perturbed. An incomprehensive desire to cry came to her and she couldn't help but weep softly. She finally thought she'd reach a conclusion when looking over Hild's star marked on her forehead and below her eyes.  
  
"But Hild.." she began, not even noticing she'd use her Mistress name.  
  
"If she turns into a demon." more repressed sobs, more emerging feelings.  
  
". she'll come back to you." She stated as a tear finally found its way down her cheek.  
  
Her heart gave the impression to beat harder in her chest and a fog that had been present on her mind for the last days somehow started to dissipate.  
  
"Your daughter. will come back to you." Mara finally finished her line of thought, now not bothering to contain her will to cry. For what followed next, Mara wished she was born a blind demon.  
  
Hild cried.  
  
...  
  
The sentiment of shame was even stronger for seeing the Leader of Hell cry than her own tears. After all, even the Devil could cry. and for some ironic motive, the crystal tears that were unshed that time didn't give the impression of being wept by a demoniac being at all..  
  
Mara didn't felt relieve when Hild finally lost hold on her collarbone, replacing her feet on the ground and extinguishing the suffocating sensation she'd been experiencing.  
  
She felt a great sense of loss.  
  
"You really don't understand anything at all do you?" Hild finally voiced her thoughts, catching Mara's attention instantly.  
  
"Hild." She tried to interfere, but was abruptly cut off by Hild's intent look on her. The Damaichiko took a few steps back and turned her back to the puzzled demon.  
  
"My daughter.." She almost choked on the words, melancholy clearly present in her tone.  
  
". is not meant to return to me." It was almost a whisper, but Mara's accurate hearing intercepted the sentence nevertheless. She made motion to approach the still crying Daimachiko, but stop dead on her tracks when Hild's voice reached her ears once more.  
  
". she just can't return." A hand was brought to her face and with her thumb Hild tried to clean the unwanted tears. Grabbing the knob of a door Mara hadn't even noticed was there, Hild stopped once again.  
  
"What you can't understand Mara." She turned her head back so that Mara could see her saddened expression.  
  
"Is that you just started The Armageddon."  
  
******  
  
In Belldandy's room, Peorth finally broke the link she was sharing with Urd, lifting up her head. Her eyes lost some focus when tears accumulated there, almost asking for permission to cascade down her cheeks. Getting up to her feet, she started to pace around the room, her thoughts disoriented and her feelings running wild.  
  
«I can't take her back to Yggdrasil now.» She started to ratiocinate, ignoring the disturbing feelings that clenched to her soul from her earlier experience of sharing Urd's havoc.  
  
«There is no way she can survive like this either.» she turned back to look at the sleeping goddess below.  
  
«.. Until I can open a gate, I must find a way for her to endure.» Her eyes traveled around the room, not really searching for anything. An uncomfortable tightness took hold her chest. The usually calm and calculating goddess felt like time was slipping through her fingers and she couldn't do anything to stop it. All of a sudden she felt her heart skip a beat when she spotted a piece of jewelry sitting on a far table.  
  
One of Belldandy's earrings.  
  
Peorth approached the small object with unsure steps, reaching out a hand, yet not daring to touch the tiny treasure.  
  
An earring, for sure.  
  
With an angel's feather attached to it.  
  
The goddess opened her mouth vaguely, turning back to Urd once again and kneeling on the wooden floor. Her eyes were fixed on her lap for some seconds before she finally took initiative and carefully turned Urd on her back.  
  
A flick from her wrist was all she needed to call It forth.  
  
Black and white feathers went flying from the angel's wings as the creature erected itself from Urd's back and immediately took a defensive stance. Peorth took several steps back in sheer surprise as she contemplated the grand angel features.  
  
...  
  
It was scared.  
  
...  
  
Tears were finally given their so needed permission and fell unashamedly from reddened eyes.  
  
"World of Elegance?" Peorth whispered, calling out the angel attention to her. Its nervous eyes found her diminutive form straight away as various emotions were displayed on them. Confusion was the last thing Peorth could register before it looked down, catching Urd's unconscious body on its eyesight.  
  
The remaining goddess waited expectantly, without daring to move from her spot, giving the angel some space and time. When it finally lifted up its gaze to her again Peorth could see two wet strains on the fair façade. It managed to contain a sob, but not the upcoming ones that followed not so long further on.  
  
A feeling of compassion overcame Peorth as she finally gathered some courage and embraced the crying angel.  
  
One couldn't tell how long the two divine beings stood on that position, weeping silently in each other arms.  
  
..After all. only they could identify the agony resurrected on their souls.  
  
to be continued. 


	7. chapter 6

Author's note: Finally found some time to update this. Trying to beat FF6 before going to the Army. U guys who read this worship the Evil_Sick_Cow for the needed inspiration!! She's my Muse!!! About the fic, I hope everybody enjoys this chapter... Some things are going to be explained now, but I decided to leave the better parts to later chapters.... Want more?? Review!!!!!  
  
Maktub  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Hours went by before anyone dared to make a noise in the vast shrine. The sun finally showed signs of its grace upon the morning heaven, illuminating what was once darkness, but failing miserably in warming the land before it. The sky was colored with a pale trace of blue, almost white in its faintness and no clouds could be seen in sight either. All of it put together formed the exact antithesis of what was displayed on its infinite realm on the previous day.  
  
It was a shy sunshine ray that took the responsibility of waking up Belldandy for itself. Its light gently caressed her serene face with subtleness, slowly bringing the sleeping goddess to motion once more. The young goddess indolently opened her eyes, taking her time to adjust them to the distinct light. The first thing she perceived once her eyesight was fully reestablished was her lover's tranquil presence beside her.  
  
The young man whom she learned to love all these years wore a somewhat worn- out expression and that was all Belldandy needed to have all memories of the previous day thrown against her mind like a slap.  
  
Carefully getting up, in order to not wake up Keiichi, she made her way to the door, turning back once to make sure the boy hadn't been disturbed in his sleep. Leaving the room like that didn't felt right, but her anxiety to know how things with her sisters were beat the best out of her.  
  
The first thing Belldandy became aware once she quietly closed the door behind her was the quietness in the surroundings. Not that she was expecting much racket, but the simple and plain stillness wasn't helping to calm her already stressed nerves either.  
  
"Need some noise..." She vaguely whispered to herself, all of a sudden feeling alone in the apparently desert residence. It took her some seconds to shake the feeling off and she finally made her mind to check upon Skuld. Her steps were feathery on the wooden floor as she headed for Keiichi's room, where if she was not mistaken, Skuld was left to rest.  
  
Her troubled heart was set at ease when she sneaked a peek inside the room. Skuld was still asleep of course, not being an early person, curled into a tiny ball and. What was impressive was definitely the closeness she was sharing with Megumi, with the older female resting a protective arm around Skuld peaceful form. If it weren't for the situation, Belldandy might have considered taking a picture of the scene, such was its cuteness.  
  
A petite smile lightened up her features and she directed herself to her own room with a cleaner consciousness. Although feeling slightly better, she couldn't stop her delicate fingers to tremble when her hand grabbed the knob of her room.  
  
"Please, just let her be well..." She pleaded to the Almighty above, desperately hoping her wish hadn't fallen on deaf ears. Feeling her sister energy assignature near she could tell Urd was still alive, «but God knows for how much longer...» her mind sneakily added to herself.. She silently prayed a small pray before entering the room, her eyes downcast all the way.  
  
Belldandy fell her mouth open against her will in sheer surprise as she seized World of Elegance's presence beside her sister's fallen figure. The unique angel was on its knees, wings widely stretched and hands placed together against its lips, as if in a prayer.  
  
"Good to see you're already up in such an early hour." A calm but raspy voice made itself known, compelling Belldandy to avert her eyes from Urd's angel to Peorth's static figure. The brown eyed goddess was sitting cross- legged in the far corner of the room, head cupped on both hands and facing the endless sky with a far expression. It took Belldandy two full seconds to close the door behind her and sit herself across Peorth, their eyes never meeting. They sat in silence for a good minute, Belldandy deciding to check the view Peorth was having from the sky while the later acted as if the other wasn't even there.  
  
"How is sh.."  
  
"She's holding fine." Peorth's husky voice reached Belldandy's ears for the second time that day, cutting her off before the question was asked. Belldandy waited to see if she was going to add something else to her announcement, her own hands clenched to her kneaded dress in expectation. When Peorth refused to make another sound she started to feel, for the first time in many, many years, nervous in a goddess' presence. Her eyes darted from the sleeping goddess and its correspondent angel to Peorth endless times before she found her voice again.  
  
"What is World of Ele.." She started, only to be cut off again as Peorth abruptly got up, heading for the door with firm and heavy steps. The younger goddess was about to get herself up when Peorth stopped as abruptly as she had gotten up, her shoulders tensing visibly.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay..." Her reply was so low that Belldandy wondered if Peorth had heard it. Judging by the sigh the other goddess let go and her departure from the room, she'd say she did.  
  
"..........."  
  
Sometimes depression can be compared to Night itself. When it arrives, we don't welcome it, as we miss the light from the day and the heat from the sun. But then, as our bodies given in to fatigue we finally salute the darkness, losing ourselves in its tender touch. And before we know we're cursing the sun rays that try to deprive us from our sleep....  
  
Belldandy felt her eyelids heavy with sleep by now... she immediately tried to swipe the melancholic feeling away and choose to return her gaze to window, were they were looking at the sky through. From her room she could observe the results of their previous fight with Mara. The garden was left a mess, with lots of trees burned and the once grassy ground nothing but a pool of mud. There were leaves scattered all around the place and a few broken branches fallen here and there.  
  
«I still can't believe this all happened...» her mind drifted off, Belldandy herself not wanting to accept as truth that only a few hours earlier, everything was normal at the Morisato residence. She was a goddess of Time...she ruled over the domain of the Present...and yet until now she had never truthfully understood the weight that some meager minutes could have upon a person's life... such a small amount of time separating them from harmony to anarchy indeed.  
  
In her dreamful state, it took Belldandy some seconds to become aware of a pair of eyes looking her from behind. Turning around slowly, she spotted World of Elegance and Urd once again, none of them having moved from their previous positions. Her gentle nature made herself draw close to Urd, wanting to hold her injuried sister and make sure she was breathing.  
  
White and black colored feathers went flying in the room as World of Elegance immediately opened its feathery wings to full extend, its eyes clenching dangerously before she could reach three steps closer to Urd.  
  
"What..." Belldandy began, but soon silenced herself has she understood the Angel's stance all of a sudden.  
  
«It's protecting her...» She murmured in her mind, covering her mouth with her hands in astonishment. Somehow she felt bewilderment as her feelings intertwined with awe and fear. Indeed, the sight of such magnificent creature was both daunting and majestic. Its presence was strong and its sight claimed everything for it own, leaving the impression that all the things were its inferior. Nonetheless, hoping the divine creature would recognize her at the very least, Belldandy dared not to move. Angel and goddess stood facing each other, neither moving, both expecting some reaction from the other.  
  
In some way, Belldandy couldn't help but feel vaguely hurt when World of Elegance didn't recognize her at all and kept its protective stance. Extending a hand towards it in frustration, she wished at least that, with the aid of the touch, the angel would distinguish her as a goddess, and therefore someone that meant no harm for neither its mistress nor itself. How wrong had she been, only seconds after she realized.  
  
It did not hesitate to create a sword of fire with its bare hands and try to chop her right there. When Belldandy saw a few strands of hair falling before her eyes she tried to define if she had escaped due to a miracle or just sheer luck...  
  
«It shouldn't be like this. I'm her sister...» Her throat threatened to close and her eyes watered dangerously as her mind started to roam. Indeed, never had Belldandy felt disdain or some kind of violence coming from another divine being. At least not to this extend. For the first time in many centuries of existence she understood the feeling of being left aside of something. To be pushed away as if she was some kind of sick animal, just waiting an opportunity to infect others with its own disease so that it wouldn't die alone.  
  
And thus, that was also the first time Belldandy felt different from her older sister.  
  
No matter what other people might say, no matter what other people might think, she always considered her onee-san one of them.  
  
A god!  
  
Despite her demon heritage, despite her mixed blood, she never thought of Urd has a stranger among their own. So what if she was the offspring of the Devil and God themselves?? So what if she might have acted reckless in the past? How many gods and goddesses in Yggdrasil hadn't acted the very same way, if not worst?! To her, all those things were part of her sister's unique personality, and they could only be used to differentiate herself from others, but never to separate her from her own kind!  
  
She couldn't describe the feeling in words even if her life depended on it. Once her eyes looked upon Urd with a different glow on them, Belldandy couldn't shake the sensation of impotence, having finally become aware of how far were the poles where each one of them lived in.  
  
******  
  
Peorth found herself raising an eyebrow when a very disturbed Belldandy passed in the living room, heading for the kitchen, her usually calm steps almost transformed into a run. Her own agitated mind took some moments before she finally found herself to, at least, feel some concern for the younger goddess. With small effort she took her feet off the ground, floating towards the kitchen, where some familiar noises could already be heard.  
  
She eventually found Belldandy, cleaning and cooking with a rather upset look on her face. Her movements were brusque and unbalanced, and Peorth felt sorry for the girl who couldn't help but release some of her stress on such plain household tasks. She surely had felt the display of energy World of Elegance had emanated not too long ago and having imagined just what was on the other goddess mind, she decided to grant her time alone.  
  
«Old habits die hard...» Peorth wandered while she searched for a recluse place where she could think without being bothered for a couple of hours. She would have a lot to explain soon, and she certainly needed some time by herself before she could bring some subjects to life. Fortunately for the raven haired goddess as soon as her feet found the polished wooden floor below them and her eyes were private from light, her mind closed itself from the world, along with the time that passed by unnoticed and uncared for.  
  
*******  
  
****flashback****  
  
One of the things that never ceased to amaze Peorth in Heaven's was its breathtaking landscapes. The trees would always be covered with the greenest leaves; the grass would always have its expected color and a soft texture, the lakes would always be filled with the cleanest waters...  
  
Her idea that nothing could make it more beautiful than it already was quickly found its end as a soft melody came to life in the air. It was an almost imperceptible tone that seemed to disappear against the sounds of the environment.  
  
Peorth tried to focus harder on it, but with the birds chirping, with the sound of the wind against the tree's leaves and so many others little noises she couldn't identify it clearly. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but be intrigued and consequently it didn't take much longer for her to claim the skies and start looking for its source.  
  
Finally spotting a lonely figure sitting on a large rock, next to an immense lake she decided to get closer. It was the exact moment the melody changed to a sinister, yet gentle, phantasmagoric, but yet tender tone that made her body tremble.  
  
The birds stopped their singing, the wind ceased to agitate the leaves, the once rather agitated waters came to a rest. It was almost like the entire nature had come to a stop to contemplate the alluring melody. Almost like.... Almost like it was paying its respects to it!!  
  
Peorth never discovered out where she found the willpower to move from her frozen position in the sky to come down and hide herself behind a large tree trunk. The revelation that it was in fact Urd producing such a fascinating song impressed her eternally. She was standing on the rock with a delicate flute on her hands, hair loosened in the wind. As she played with her eyes closed, her fingers traveled along its various holes elegantly, as if they knew their destiny by heart.  
  
The raven haired goddess felt her spirit shiver when Urd eventually stopped playing, opening her eyes to stare right in her direction.  
  
"You know... you can come out now Peorth." Urd proclaimed, walking closer to her. In spite of feeling like a very part of her was missing now that the song has ended, Peorth forced herself to cheer up. She revealed herself taking a step aside and laughed quietly.  
  
"I wasn't aware you could play the flute." A smile formed in Urd's lips immediately as she removed a strand of white hair from her face. .  
  
"What can I say? It's one of my many virtues...." She bragged and they both laughed heartedly.  
  
"Yea, right..." Peorth joked and Urd arched an eyebrow. They stared at each other for a moment until Urd crossed her arms in her chest and bite her lower lip.  
  
"Like you didn't like it!" Peorth mimicked her for an instance, crossing her arms ahead of herself, holding Urd's gaze. She eventually gave in and raised her hands to the sky in defeat.  
  
"Ok... you won!" She declared, stepping closer to Urd as she spoke. "It was your moment of zen..." Urd flashed a bright smile and looked down to the flute in her hand lovingly. They fell in silence for a second when Peorth grabbed Urd's hand and brought the flute closer.  
  
"It's beautiful!" She mentally declared to the white haired maiden, never letting go of the grasp she had on her hand. Their fingers touched warily, sending electricity through their bodies.  
  
"Why did you stop playing?" Peorth questioned in her mind, taking longer than necessary in analyzing the musical object, dearly enjoying the contact they were sharing.  
  
"I'm not used to have any audience." Urd promptly replied, bringing her other hand to remove a small leaf that was caught in the brown eyed goddess' hair. Peorth trapped her hand in her own before she could withdraw it.  
  
"How can you always tell when I'm near?" She asked aloud this time, breaking their mental link. Their eyes met and the moment seemed to last forever. It was Urd who eventually broke the contact, averting her eyes to her feet as she escaped from Peorth's touch with the easiness of water escaping through one's finger.  
  
"You wouldn't want to know..." She whispered so low that the words were almost lost to the wind as she took her feet of the ground and headed off.  
  
*****end flashback****  
  
"Ano.... " Nothing more than a small plead, insignificant in meaning, but effective as thunder, bringing Peorth out of her thoughts faster than her mind was prepared. She caught her breath nervously as she found Skuld's face a mere inch from her one. They locked eyes for a fraction of second, before the petite goddess averted her gaze to her lap and sat straight on the floor, beside Peorth.  
  
"Gomen if I scared you." Was her weak excuse for almost having Peorth choking on her own saliva. Despite everything the elder goddess couldn't bring herself to be mad at the youngster.  
  
« She does looks like shit already. » Therefore, the expected harsh comment was replaced by a tiny smile and a cold hand placed on Skuld's chin.  
  
"It's ok. There's nothing to apologize for." Who would have the heart to reprehend a kid who had witnessed such destruction hours ago? Not only that, but Peorth just wasn't on a talkative mood at the moment. Taking a closer look on Skuld's apparently unharmed figure, she let her thoughts wonder for a while.  
  
«How much has this child been put through yesterday? Kami-sama, at her age I still was learning how to grow a rose, not battling a freakin' demon!» It was just excessively easy right now for her to put all the blame on their Holy Father.... Like He could have prevented all this from happening... « He's the Lord of All Things... How could he not do something about it? How can I be daughter of a... a ....*thing* that leaves his children abandoned on a foreign Realm, crying themselves to sleep, hoping that all what happened was nothing but a fuckin' dream?!»  
  
A fist was formed.... A snarl became audible... teeth tightly grinned together was visible... And yet nor Peorth nor Skuld realized none of this.  
  
Skuld being absorbed in her own depression.  
  
Peorth being too much blinded by her own internal rage.  
  
***flashback***  
  
It was the first time she ever, _ever_ saw the sky covered with that black mantle that brought darkness into the land where Lightness was born. Never had the Night been able to find its way to the ever shining Tree of Life. And yet that time, Yggadrasil fell victim to blackness.  
  
A young girl was kneeled on the pedestal of a huge, majestic fountain. Its waters were calm and reflected the firmament above with such precision that one couldn't tell where one thing ended and the other started. Occasionally one or other swan would swim around and when they splashed a drop of water out of the fountain a flower would sprout magically from the ground.  
  
The girl, nothing but a young goddess who had just found her way into adultness, didn't care with none of those. Her eyes were open yet she could not see anything in front of her. Her heart was beating in her chest but she wondered if it had stopped by now. And although she was crying, she never felt the hot tears cascading from her eyes all the way down her cheeks.  
  
«You said you would always be by my side..» Her breath seemed to be stuck in her throat as she whispered the words almost inaudibly.  
  
«You promised me you wouldn't take her away from me!» The sobs came from nowhere and there wasn't anybody to stop her body from trembling wildly. There wasn't anybody to comfort her and say that things were going to be alright.  
  
Somewhere in between weeping and sobbing Peorth's eyes found the sky above. Although she had never seen the Eternal Blue tinted in black before, she couldn't help but find it beautiful.  
  
«Light can't exist without Darkness, can it?» It wasn't her voice that whispered those words. And yet they burned in her mind like no thought she had ever had did previously.  
  
Although they didn't bring any ease to her tormented spirit, Peorth found herself vaguely calming under its nuance. In her mind she wondered how she couldn't have understood it before.  
  
«You're beautiful, one way or the other. In the end... you are simply one.»  
  
It felt like she was seeing light for the first time since she was brought to this world. Like it was the very first time that Yggdrasil's sons and daughters had witnessed Darkness, it was also the first time a pure Goddess found some peace of soul upon it.  
  
Peorth only wished it had lasted longer.  
  
The recent wounds impaled on her soon made themselves known once more and Peorth's vision was clouded by new, fresh tears.  
  
«Why Father?»  
  
«...........»  
  
«Where are you now?» If she had ever looked back to the fountain she could've witnessed one swan's chaste white feathers turning dark black, much like the firmament above.  
  
Not to mention she didn't realize the bloodied tears she shed as they were mixed with the crystal water.  
  
****end of flashback****  
  
«Of course He wouldn't do anything!! He didn't do anything millennia's ago! Why would _He_, of all people, change *now*??!»  
  
"Peorth, please don't speak of Father like that." That brought the addressed goddess back to reality. She stood unmoving in her seated position, holding her breath unconsciously. First thing she did, Peorth wondered if she had proclaimed the words aloud, but judging from Skuld's puzzled expression she put the idea aside.  
  
"I don't remember giving you permission to look into my mind like that Belldandy..." Not a threat, not a warning either... More like a statement, stripped from any kind of emotions on it. It all helped to make Belldandy even more suspicious of the reasons that were leading Peorth to such a catatonic state. Of course she didn't expect anything but sadness from her companion, but Peorth seemed just overly affected by it.  
  
The arrival of both Morisato brothers broke her line of thought at once. She skipped a look at Megumi, who wasn't wearing anything but a large men shirt over her underwear. The poor girl's clothes were wet and cold so they made her dress an oversized shirt that was given to Keiichi by his University comrades. Her eyes swiftly found Keiichi's ones, the boy returning the smile she wasn't aware she was displaying.  
  
"Let's go back inside. It's freezing here." Megumi asked, embracing herself. Nobody moved for a couple of seconds, each one of them lost in their own thoughts. It was only when Keiichi joined hands with Belldandy and moved inside the temple that Skuld decided to get herself up and follow them. Peorth sighed deeply before she copied the Norn of the Future in her actions.  
  
*****  
  
Belldandy waited patiently for Peorth to start explaining some of the things she demanded to know as she served everybody a mug of hot tea. Only the oldest goddess decided to grab a mug to herself. The others watched in plain silence.  
  
Even the largest patience has its limits. And Belldandy's one was close of reaching its limit. She was distracted by seeing Skuld moving closer to Megumi, where the two were seated in one of the sofas. When the mortal female embraced the teenager motherly and Skuld didn't raise a finger in protest, Belldandy couldn't settle on if she was feeling jealous or just plain shocked. Although, as soon as her eyes found her fingers interlaced with Keiichi's, she unmistakably understood that her sibling just wanted the same thing she craved for right now.  
  
Some reassurance.  
  
And she finally decided that if Megumi could offer her that at that moment, it was ok with her. Peorth, on her side, seemed to have noticed the same thing as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. As she took another sip from her tea and Belldandy could almost hear the thoughts running on her head.  
  
"Is it okay for her to be here?" It took Belldandy a microsecond before she realized it was Megumi whom Peorth was referring to.  
  
"I already know you're a goddess. No need to be so cautious about it." It was clear that Megumi wanted to be present and hear the conversation. Peorth pondered on it for an instant before apparently letting it go.  
  
"Where should I start?" She whispered more to herself than to anyone present.  
  
"What about starting to explain what was happening to Urd?" For a brief moment, Peorth was surprised that the always serene goddess could essentially drop her mask of calmness and actually face her with such a straight question. Belldandy, on the other hand, found extremely frustrating the fact that the elder goddess was taking so long to order her thoughts.  
  
"First of all you must understand that I and your sister have been alive for a long time before you or Skuld even dreamed of being born." Her voice was raspy and low and Belldandy believed that everyone else present would agree with her that it did give her a look of maturity that wasn't there before. When nobody made an utter comment on it she finally trailed of.  
  
"I presume you are aware of the changes of control that happen involving Heaven's and Hell's energy." A barely recognizable nod was all she got in reply. A headache was starting to make itself acknowledged. Peorth just ignored it.  
  
"What you learned though, you learned from books and theories given in Yggdrasil probably, as any other goddess have." This time she didn't wait for a response before continuing.  
  
"Humans can't feel it. Gods barely sense anything at all, and Demons go berserk... Resuming it all, that's what happens when the coin falls to Hell's side." At this point Megumi was the only one awed by her little speech.  
  
"But how would a half-demon, half-goddess react to it, that's what everybody in the High Council forgot to think of when the change of predominance happened, a few millenia's back in the Past." Both mortals found a little strange on how Peorth could speak of monstrous amounts of times like it wasn't nothing but a few years, but neither one of them seeing any kind of strange reaction from the other goddess wisely decided to keep their mouths shut.  
  
"I myself, being very... close... to Urd at that time, took my time to become aware of what was happening to her." « Not that she would let me get so close to her by then...» she quietly added in her mind, resting her gaze to the floor.  
  
"What is it exactly that happens to my sister Peorth?" Belldandy didn't want the talk to die at that point and certainly wouldn't let Peorth go without further explanations. Peorth seemed to oblige herself to face her once again and Belldandy couldn't help but feel guilty for pushing the other goddess for more. Nonetheless, she didn't say a word about it.  
  
"The only reason she manages to be a goddess is because she has her dark powers sealed within her soul by the Almighty himself. The Evil presence nullifies that seal and stimulates those powers into life."  
  
"But I thought Urd lived all this time with both of her... sides... alive." Keiichi squeezed his fiancée hand lightly when he became aware of the hopeless tone Belldandy's voice carried. Sneaking a glance to Skuld, he couldn't tell if the other goddess was even listening to what they were saying, her face hidden in Megumi's shirt.  
  
"How can I put it into words? It's true that both Urd's good and evil sides are constantly quarrying inside of her. You can't separate them effectively. But even though Urd is sensitive to both her sides, she has only tasted energy provided by Heaven. That's what makes her able to be a goddess. Being deprived from her Evil energy, the good side has a small vantage over the other and can be dominant, with Urd's approval."  
  
Keiichi frenzied his eyebrows in confusion, even though he kind of understood it. Belldandy was totally out of words for the moment, being faced with a concept she'd never met before. So it was Megumi who decided to carry on with the questionary.  
  
"So, what happens to her when the dark energy is unrestrained?" Peorth took another deep breath and her eyes seemed to lose their focus. As quick as it came though, it was gone and she resumed her explanation.  
  
"Without Heavenly protection, without this "filter" I told you about, the Evil energy clashes directly with the Holy one. They fight for dominance without Urd being able to be in command of either of them. It comes to the point where the level of power used rises so much that it threatens to come out of her unwilling."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Skuld flared into action, turning her face from Megumi to look at Peorth from the corner of her eyes. Peorth was now sure that she shouldn't have witnessed some of the things that happened yesterday.  
  
"Imagine what's it like to have both God and the Devil inside of your body. That's a burden too heavy for anyone to carry. In Urd's own words it's like trying to contain the oceans into a pool. Can you imagine what happens then Skuld?" Her voice was quiet all along and Skuld knew the question was made without any tease on it.  
  
"The water will want to spill off." She answered when she finally found her voice. Peorth slowly nodded her head in approval and turned to Belldandy once again. The look the teal eyed goddess on her face was beyond description, with Keiichi following close behind. It took her some courage to keep going with their little chat.  
  
"That was exactly what was happening yesterday, mind to say. Overbearing power wanting to be freed" Another deep breath... Peorth could feel the headache getting worse....  
  
"How was this solved back when it first happened, then?" The question earned a look of hesitation from both Skuld and Bell but Keiichi overlooked both. At this time, he too wanted to get at the bottom of all this.  
  
"We... the Almighty... Heaven...." She seemed at loss of words for a minute and the previous feeling that somehow it was inappropriate for Peorth to feel so personally affected by the events crossed Belldandy's mind once more. Before she could mention it Peorth decided to carry on.  
  
"...a sort of drug was conceived so that Urd could be restrained from totally losing control until the Dark Age ended." Taking a small sip from her almost cold tea she readjusted herself on her single sofa. This time, when she spoke, her voice carried a graver tone.  
  
"The condition she's in now is already an advanced state of the incident though. She wasn't supposed to display this amounts of power until a few months from the beginning of The Change."  
  
Silence fell on the room for the time being. Skuld hide her face from view in Megumi's torso once again, gaining a caring hug in return. Belldandy leaned on Keiichi, resting her head on his shoulder, eyes opened, but staring at nothing. Keiichi, by his part, seemed to be deep in thought has he absorbed all the information he was given.  
  
"So... what are we going to do now?" The question came naturally. Peorth herself seemed to ponder her choices a little before coming with a retort of her own, not allowing Belldandy to reach any verdict before her.  
  
"I'll going to take Urd back to Heaven as soon as Yggdrasil is back online." She stated simply, putting her tea mug away for good. The mug was unfinished, but she couldn't found the will to end it either way.  
  
"How long is that going to take?" The boy continued, obviously following a certain line of thought.  
  
"I don't know. Probably one day... one day and half in the maximum. With me being the current Sysop and being stuck here on Earth things are going to take a little longer to return to normal"  
  
"..."  
  
"Do you think she will make it until the time?" Despite not having been near Urd since she was called in the middle of the night, Megumi knew, thanks to her brother's comments, that her situation wasn't very good.  
  
"Hopefully. I brought World of Elegance to support her. Things are going to be alright." Her voice finally cracked in the end of the sentence and Peorth unexpectedly found herself fighting against tears. She already had been put through this once... she undoubtedly didn't desire to be put through it again.  
  
"How can It help her?" Either Belldandy didn't realize the older goddess didn't want to talk anymore or she just didn't care at all. One or the other, Keiichi found it a very strange act from his sensitive and delicate girlfriend. Peorth, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind as her voice carried itself on the room once more.  
  
"It is the only being in the Universe that has the same type of energy as Urd's. While we can't help her due to our divine existence and nor would a demon, if willing, be able to help either due to its unholy nature. So that only leaves one that is equal to her to do something. As long as World of Elegance has strength, it will not let Urd fade away." The explanation came out in automatic mode as finally a tear escaped from her left eye, soon followed by others.  
  
It was also the precise instant that Belldandy utterly shocked him, and everybody else on the room, asking the question that finally made Peorth snap.  
  
"How is that World of Elegance abbeys to your call, but won't even let me get near my sister?" In a way, Keiichi could understand that Belldandy was feeling frustrated and wanted answers for the many questions that Peorth's speech had generated in her mind, but on the other side, it was clearly visible that Peorth was reluctant to take the discussion away. Even if he wasn't very close to the Goddess of the Roses, he could still tell when someone needed to be left alone.  
  
Peorth's expression changed from angry, to surprised and then to somewhat sad. The tears didn't bother to stop falling down her cheeks and Peorth didn't make a move to wipe them away. She tasted their salty savor rather unaffected before finally standing up tall on her feet.  
  
"Some things are just meant to be left the way they are..." With that she left and obviously, nobody made attempt to stop her.  
  
********  
  
Even in her sleep Urd felt anesthetized. While she couldn't get any feeling of her body, and therefore, not any physical pain, she still had to endure her own inner torment between the two parts of her soul. In a time though, even that ceased to happen in her conscience and she was left in a bright, yet cold void. She felt numb all over.  
  
And it didn't take long for her to feel alone in her slumber.  
  
It was then that she felt two hands lifting her from the non-existent freezing ground into someone's lap. She tried to see who was there with her, but the brightness of the void and her foggy sight didn't help much. Only when she spotted a contrasting black feathered wing against the pristine white she comprehended her own angel presence.  
  
"World Of Elegance.." Although she moved her mouth no sound came out. The Angel looked down lovingly at her and embraced her body, rocking both of them back and forth. Only when It closed its wings around her protectively she felt sheltered enough to allow herself to give in to oblivion.  
  
"Do not worry Urd. We're going back home." Rarely had she heard her Angel's voice. It was a smooth, natural, yet mysterious sound that brought some missed peace and warmth to her soul.  
  
Before giving in completely to the darkness that approached her mind she half opened her eyes once more. This time it wasn't World of Elegance's distinct portico that came into view.  
  
It was Peorth's caring features.  
  
A faint twinge on her heart was all Urd felt before she finally encountered darkness within her sleep.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. chapter 7

Author's note: I'm very sorry for the lack of updates, but life hasn't been exactly good for me recently... Can't think about anything but the Army lately. As usual, thank the EvilsickCow for pushing me in continuing this. Reviews will be gladly accepted.  
  
MAKTUB  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
The day passed slowly in the Morisato residence. After the brief, but fairly exhausting gathering everybody decided to keep themselves busy by doing something... Megumi spent most of the afternoon helping Keiichi fix the power generator properly and trying to clean the garden of the broken branches, knifes and other things scattered around.  
  
As both siblings worked rather silently Megumi took in the marks left exposed on the landscape. The smell of blood was still lingering in the air and no matter in which direction she looked at, she could still perceive traces of red far and wide.  
  
Only her imagination could try to remake the scenes that happened at her brother's house before she got there. Keiichi, far from being blind, noticed his sister distant look all the time. He couldn't decide whether she was trying to come with terms with all she learned the past hours, about goddess and demons, or just letting all the violent events sunk in, therefore, he asked her nothing about it.  
  
Inside the temple Skuld locked herself in her own room and threw herself, body and soul, into the task of upgrading Banpei... again. In her still innocent mind she determined that if her robotic creation hadn't run out of battery the night before, it could've detected Mara's presence and perhaps none of the blood leash would have happened. Not even while working though, could she keep her concentration focused enough time to come up with at least one accurate equation. Still she worked on it until sleep came, many hours after everyone had gone to bed.  
  
The middle sister, on her hand, tried to occupy her stressed nerves with the house tasks. After cleaning the interior of the temple of every one of the small, but abundant drops of blood and putting all the furniture in its place she went out to take care of the laundry. No matter how many times she would scrub the formerly white cloths used to clean all of their wounds, the water would always come out with a faint trace of red in it. Therefore, Belldandy spent all day on her never-ending mission, until Keiichi called her inside. The moon was high in the sky since a long time by then.  
  
In Belldandy's room, where Urd was left to her angel's care, Peorth spent all day... and the following night... sitting in one corner of the room, doing absolutely nothing but stare at the wall in front of her. Unlike the others, she found nothing that could pry her mind from replaying the latest events and the recollections that were unlocked along with them. Not that she had forgotten, far from that... but she had managed to put all those things in a far spot of her mind, where it wouldn't haunt her constantly, even if at great cost. But now she found her efforts fruitless as she couldn't bring herself to do nothing more than wait... and suffer the small torture her mind was imposing herself through.  
  
For this reason, all she could hope was that she would be able to carry out all her responsibilities in the times that would come.  
  
----------  
  
As Belldandy took her place in the dinning table with a heavy sigh two pair of eyes were raised to her. Her face was rather pale and one could tell her spirit was far away from there. She didn't perceive the cup of noodles that was placed beside her by Keiichi.  
  
The boy looked at her passively, holding his fork inattentively a few centimeters from his mouth. After seconds of inanimation from Belldandy he resumed eating, although this time his expression changed from neutral to one a little unhappy. Megumi, noticing the whole thing, cleared her throat to catch Belldandy's attention back to them. The goddess' head jerked up in surprise as she apologized almost automatically from her lack of consideration.  
  
Megumi's eyes darted from her brother to the noodle's cup standing before Belldandy somewhat uneasily until the other woman finally understood what she was trying to say.  
  
"Ano... Keiichi" She started, her eyes founding her hands resting at her lap. Her fiancée stopped eating to look at her, his eyes brightening almost instantly.  
  
"Gomen... but I don't feel like eating today. I'll just make you company at the table, if it's okay with you." The light from his eyes faded with the same speed it came to life once Belldandy called out his name. He whispered a weak reply and returned once again to the task of eating a cup that never seemed to diminish.  
  
Megumi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at Belldandy's lack of socialization at the moment. Getting up from her seat and grabbing an untouched noodle cup from the table she headed upstairs, not adding a word to the already poor conversation.  
  
Belldandy didn't need to turn her gaze to follow Megumi's moving figure to know where she was heading to. She knew the young Morisato sibling was in need of some explanations, of some enlightenment, but she simply wasn't in condition to ease away her doubts at the moment.  
  
Perhaps seeing some things with her very own eyes could provide her some relieve. Perhaps Peorth would open up to her, though she assumed it as a highly improbable possibility. She just wished Megumi could find some light that her own darkened soul failed to emit.  
  
------------  
  
Megumi slowly, but steadily made her approach to Belldandy's room. The noodle's cup was warm on her hand, reminding her all the time of the lame excuse she found to be able to visit Peorth. The idea of passing for a prying rat hit her, but no matter how hard she thought, she wouldn't get a good reason to enter the room anyway. In the end she just decided to go for it.  
  
She wished to come to terms with some of the things that were revealed to her earlier. She wished to see how Urd was doing too. Damn, she just wished for some answers... She was a trouble-free college student. She didn't ask for some of the biggest secrets of Mankind being revealed to her. She was willing to help, yes, but she needed some clarifications before being able to perform her tasks without being in deep thought of what she had learned. She just hoped Peorth would understand that.  
  
When she reached the door to Belldandy's room the fact that there wasn't any sound coming from the other side of the door disturbed her more than if she'd heard a fight in there. She couldn't see any light from under the door either. Was Peorth sleeping already? After all it was kind of late and it was possible that the raven haired goddess had just gone to sleep without having dinner. If so, she wouldn't want to disturb her sleep.........  
  
Heck, was Peorth even in there?  
  
She spent some time standing there, weighting her options, before she finally made up her mind to go forward with her initial plan. Taking a deep breath to help her wash away some doubts she entered the pitch-black room. She could pick out something white in the center of the room, but her unaccustomed eyes couldn't identify it clearly in the dark. Something was enduring in the air, the dim light provided by the moon offering no help whatsoever in the mission of making it out what was that.  
  
Her hands blindly reached for the light switch and Megumi smiled with satisfaction when she finally found it. The last thought that crossed her mind before she turned the switch on was that the white thing seemed to move sporadically.  
  
"Holy Shit!" She almost screamed when her eyes seized the black and white winged creature standing in the room. The cup in her hand fell to the ground without ceremony as she brought her two hands to cover her mouth in surprise. Her gaze remained locked on that individual figure before she finally spotted Peorth sitting on the window. Somehow she managed to calm down slightly when she noticed Peorth wasn't scared or bothered by its presence.  
  
The winged being remained motionless despite her startled scream. Its eyes were closed and its face was locked in an expression that lingered between concentration and tranquility. Its fair skin was covered with black spots symmetrically and even its extraordinary hair was colored in the same fashion.  
  
"What is this?" She asked hesitantly, finding the guts to talk after the initial shock. Peorth turned her head slowly at her, her eyes darting between the frightened girl and the serene angel. She finally sighed before resting her chin on her hand. An almost invisible smile crept up her features as she answered.  
  
"This Megumi" She started, and now her eyes seemed to carry a certain air of pride on its' gleam. "It's an angel..."  
  
Megumi's mouth gaped open for a moment as she voiced a small "Oh". She unthinkingly reached for the fallen cup and sat beside Peorth. With all her fascination for the angel's presence she almost forgot the still figure of Urd laying beside it. On a first glance the white haired divinity seemed to be sleeping quietly, if not for the infrequently sparks of electricity that came to life from time to time. Some cuts could be seen over her face and arms and she could make out a bandage underneath the white pajama all over her torso. Megumi felt her heart skip a beat inside her chest when the thought of losing Urd crossed her mind.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not letting that happen..." A raspy voice broke her line of thought and she immediately turned her head to look at Peorth. The goddess looked at her with a sympathetic smile on her face that almost made Megumi forget that she had just been mind readed. The young girl blushed adorably and scratched the back of her head, searching for words to start a conversation.  
  
"I brought you supper." She finally declared, remembering her original excuse for the visit. Peorth smile grew a little bigger at her words in a hint of appreciation.  
  
"No thanks. I don't feel like eating." Was her already expected reply. Done with the formalities Megumi found herself without much to say in order to distract the older woman. At least Peorth seemed to be at ease with her presence there, for some unknown reason. In the end she just gave up to impatience and started to voice her thoughts.  
  
"Why is it here?" She asked, a little unsure of the tone her voice carried. She didn't want to sound anxious or frightened around Peorth at all.  
  
Peorth made a confused face before pointing at the impressive angel's figure standing beside Urd with one finger.  
  
"The angel?" She asked, winning a nod from Megumi in response. Her smile grew in size once more and Megumi wondered in her mind what was going on in the other girl's head at that time.  
  
"It's protecting her. That's Urd's angel after all." The mortal girl remembered their earlier talk at the tea room and put together a name with a face. So this was World of Elegance.  
  
"Do you guys all have one?" She blunted out without thinking of her question. Peorth nodded her head slowly in reply, mimicking Megumi's previous movement.  
  
"Yes. Every god and goddess eventually is given the blessing of possessing an angel. It's like the mirror of your soul. Your closest friend. It's one that chooses to make a pilgrimage with you to wherever you go, for eternity."  
  
Megumi let Peorth's small speech sunk in before she started to dream on her behalf.  
  
"You know, it would be cool if we could have one too!" She mildly smirked as she spoke and returned her gaze to World of Elegance. I was true indeed that Urd was half demon, she evidenced, the black wing and marks giving no room for discussion. If an angel's was the mirror of one's soul for real she would like to see how an angel of her own would manifest.  
  
Peorth choose this exact moment to laugh gently.  
  
"You know, for someone who just saw World of Elegance for the first time you have the most interesting thoughts." Megumi raised an eyebrow as she returned her attention to the other female.  
  
"Why is that?" She asked, clearly confused. This time it was Peorth's eyes that traveled to the angel's figure. Her gaze remained there until she looked vaguely down to contemplate Urd beautiful features. There was a small twinkle in her eyes as she stared at Urd and Megumi, unconsciously reproducing Belldandy's own thoughts, wondered what feelings were sustained behind that loving look.  
  
"Aren't you afraid of how your angel would look like? World of Elegance is a feared angel because it's a living proof that sometimes your soul is not so pure as you wished it to be. Aren't you afraid that your angel would turn out to be different? Aren't you afraid it won't have pure white wings?"  
  
Megumi considered the importance of the question for some seconds before daring to open her mouth. For some reason she thought Peorth had some other purpose to be asking her this, but she put the reflection aside as soon as she remembered the goddess was probably reading her mind at the moment.  
  
"No. I don't think I would. After all, if it's a part of me I should already be aware of how it would be like." She trailed off, and Peorth found herself surprised by the girl's blunt answer.  
  
"Besides" Megumi continued, not giving her companion a chance to interrupt her.  
  
"I think Urd's angel is beautiful." That certainly shocked Peorth to no end. Such words seemed foreign when used to qualify Urd's angel to many of those among the gods, not to mention a plain human. She assumed she must've looked very surprised when Megumi decided to carry on her explanation, as if wanting to justify her statement.  
  
"The simple fact that it can exist it something breathtaking by its own. The detail that it can melt two different essences into one being, defying those who say that light cannot exist at the same time that shadows do. With the Darkness of the Devil comes the Light of God. And what a beautiful thing it is."  
  
Peorth was left absolutely out of words for the time being. Even if she would never admit to anyone, her respect for Megumi had already surpassed whatever she felt towards dozen of gods in Heaven.  
  
"You don't need to worry about acquiring an angel Megumi." This time it was her voice that cracked up in the end of the sentence. Megumi didn't seem to notice though.  
  
"Huh?" Was her weak excuse for a question.  
  
"Someone up there likes you very much you know?" She said, pointing up with her thumb. "Although you can't see it, even now your angel is here, guarding you as we speak." If Megumi was surprised by all of it, she made an excellent job in not letting it show. In fact, her face was a mask of blankness as she waited in utter silence for Peorth to continue.  
  
"It's that caring presence that's with you before you go to sleep. It's those comforting words that come from nowhere when you're feeling sad or down. It's that encouraging voice that cheers you up whenever you are about to accomplish something." Megumi's eyes started to water up as she listened to Peorth's revelation.  
  
"It had been always there by your side Megumi. You always had one, you just never realized it." Peorth finished, her eyes fixing on something behind Megumi. She smiled faintly when a pair of dark blue eyes met her gaze. When the other girl spoke, her voice was hoarse and she could feel the salty taste of her own tears in her mouth.  
  
"What is it doing now?" She asked, lifting her face to look absently to the ceiling. Peorth observed the angel's actions adoringly as it opened its medium-sized white wings and hugged Megumi from behind. The addressed girl felt a warm feeling be born in her chest as a trick of magic.  
  
"How does it look like?" Peorth's line of vision joined Megumi's as she too raised her head up. There was a small moment of silence in the room but for some reason it felt right at the moment. When Peorth's voice broke the silence though, it was to reveal the sweetest and most precious words Megumi had ever heard.  
  
"It's beautiful..." The goddess whispered, almost caressing the words as she spoke. She could sense the happiness the human girl felt at the instant and it made her own soul light up a little bit.  
  
These humans, always getting all emotional about almost anything.  
  
Yet Peorth could tell it was very important for the now crying girl to know that piece of information. And besides, Megumi had shared with her something more important that she could ever be aware of, so Peorth found it fair to reveal something as significant.  
  
As Megumi quietly wiped beside her the black haired goddess could almost feel her angel calling to her, as if wanting to be known. First she got the impression that Gorgeous Rose was just doing what it usually did most of the time, being there for her. But then, seconds passed by and the angel developed an uneasy feeling that was surely not missed by Peorth.  
  
Her eyes instinctively found Urd's angel figure for the last time that day and she immediately understood the agitated sentiment her angel shared with her. The black and white winged Angel still remained with its eyes closed, but now its pale face was locked in a hard, concentrated expression that wasn't present before. It was clearly struggling with the heavy effort and it was wearing tired already.  
  
Peorth understood she didn't have much more time left to wait. Her angel called out again inside of her. Peorth closed her eyes and sighed deeply.  
  
"I know... I know..." she whispered in the air, the words loosing themselves before anyone could make them out. --------------  
  
Deep down on the cursed lands of Hell, Hild sat desolated on her ornamented throne. One hand holding her chin and the other clutching a worn out piece of blue fabric, cold eyes locked in some vague spot in space, lips forming a straight line, Hild didn't seen pleased with the celebration currently taking place. She had completely forgotten about the festivity due to the past events and undeniably wasn't in the mood to attend to it, but she knew better than missing it and generate an unnecessary uproar among her subordinates.  
  
They all wondered though, why their usually jovial, hyperactive silver haired master sat wordlessly on her bejeweled throne all night long, not giving any second glance to any one of the gorgeous dancers performing, not dancing to the sound of the music produced by her favorite composers, not clapping in amusement when some rare animals executed showy tricks. It was, after all, a very important feast to them, when they could finally rejoice the changes of seasons, after so many centuries of Heaven's control.  
  
But even if there wasn't any explanatory reason for the queen's lack of enthusiasm, no one dared to ask her why. Although drunken with both power and booze, all demons still had their love for precious life.  
  
------  
  
On some other place of Hell, Mara laid alone gazing at the night sky through the broken ceiling of the room she was in. Ever since Hild had left her she did nothing more than lie down on the cold, hard floor and stare off into the firmament. Her body trembled involuntary, her untreated wounds fully exposed making it hard for make it stop. Her mouth was slightly open, making the two sharp fangs barely touch her lower lip.  
  
On her mind, her latest actions were played constantly, with small flashes from some others periods appearing from time to time. She felt confused by all of it, having no control whatsoever in that self indulged trance. The clips kept coming in random order, in such a speed that made her dizzy and wanting to throw up whatever she had in her stomach. In a far corner of her psyche she could hear her own soul mournful cries of sorrow.  
  
"What have I done?" She whispered to herself, in some way waiting to obtain an answer. A feeling of guilt overcame her as she remembered herself grabbing the knife from the wall and stabbing Urd with it.  
  
"How could I have done that to her?" The voice in her head was calm, not reflecting the agonizing sensation that burned through her.  
  
"She was my..." A pause. A tear that threatened to fall. A finger that twitched. A breath that was hold.  
  
"... my friend..." Silence. Her eyes found a full moon that shone with a strange reddish luminosity on the upper sky, once covered by the dark grey clouds. A gush of wind wiped some hair off her face. Her heart beat faster...  
  
-----flashback------  
  
Two lonely figures laid scattered in one of the many grassy hills of Muspelheim. The night was quiet and a soft, a warm wind blew serenely throughout the fields. All that could be heard in miles was the occasional singsong of one or two crickets that insisted in disturb the perfect still silence. The other two occupants of the area were lying on their backs, the blonde admiring the view the night offered, while the silver haired one kept her eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping.  
  
"You should show up more often you know?" Mara murmured, crossing her arms behind her head and putting one leg on top of other lazily.  
  
Silent answered her nothing.  
  
"Your mother is worried." She continued, knowing all too well which buttons to push to make Urd talk.  
  
"Were you?" Urd replied softly, her lips barely moving as she spoke.  
  
Mara seemed to hesitate for a split second before countering.  
  
"Urd.." a deep breath "why do you make questions to which you already know the answer?" The goddess sighed and coughed lightly.  
  
Mara's gaze seemed to harden.  
  
Their talks weren't always like this, almost mute and single sided. Although Mara was glad for seeing the divinity again, her heart weighted on her chest with apprehension.  
  
"Why you're here?" She found herself asking, without thinking too much about it.  
  
Urd arched an eyebrow. "Do I need a reason to be here?"  
  
"No." The demoness indolently answered, deciding to keep her mouth shut for a while. Her sharp hearing could sense Urd inhale deeply.  
  
"I had to get away from Yggdrasil for awhile." Mara thanked the Gods that her companion finally decided to say something. The strange silence between them was making her feel strangely uncomfortable.  
  
"You didn't choose the best place to come. You weren't supposed to be here." Urd chuckled tenderly.  
  
"First you tell me I should come more often... Now you're telling me it was a mistake?" Mara rolled her eyes good-naturedly and re-adjusted her head above her hands.  
  
"You know what I mean." Her voice displayed the sincerity of the sentence. Urd's former smile disappeared from her features.  
  
"I do." The goddess mumbled, her own voice quiet and dry now. Mara's eyes averted from the starless sky to her friend on her side, admiring her profile in silence. If Urd was aware she was being watched she didn't showed at all, Mara thought, seeing her friend totally still. She seemed to be exhausted... her eyes were closed, her chest barely moved with her stable breathing, her hands were placed beside her unmoving.  
  
A well known golden ring on Urd's left hand trapped her attention and Mara caught herself releasing a sad sigh.  
  
"How long have you been out? You seen pretty worn out..." She asked, moving to a sitting position. Urd seemed to think for a while.  
  
"Three days, fourteen hours and seven minutes." She calmly answered, making the demoness arch an eyebrow in incredulity.  
  
"Peorth must be worried." Urd continued as a matter-of-factly, not seeing Mara cross her arms before her chest and roll her eyes in response.  
  
"Of course she must be!! For Devil's sake, she's your..." A pained groan, followed by some coughing from Urd stopped Mara from going any further. The blond felt her concern for the half goddess increase when a small trail of blood descended from Urd's mouth.  
  
"Urd!" Mara called, kneeling beside her friend. The coughing soon stopped, yet Mara could perceive the once static hand grip the soil below them, fingers digging into the earth. She took that hand on her own, giving it a strong squeeze.  
  
"I'm alright." Urd stated, regaining her composure. Mara waited for a few more seconds, waiting to see if anything more would happen, and finally released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She became aware of her own hands clasped with Urd's and it made her heart start to race inside her chest. Old feelings mixed with deep worry moved Mara into embracing the silver haired beauty.  
  
Urd smiled a little bit and opened her eyes for the first time that night. Mara watched her blink twice as the goddess raised her free hand to the sky. Moving her head slightly so that she too could have a view of what was above the demoness gasped with surprise when, with a flick of Urd's wrist, the grey clouds started to move, slowly revealing a big red moon.  
  
"It's just like the color of your eyes today." Urd commented tenderly, only to her ears. Mara sobbed silently on her neck for a few seconds, until she finally moved to place herself upon Urd, supporting her own weight with an elbow beside her friend's head.  
  
"You've been too long down here... It only makes things more difficult if you're standing near demon's energy sources, not to mention Hell itself." Her voice was hoarse, she noticed, but didn't care. Her fingers found their way on Urd's soft hair, gently caressing it. The goddess faced her with a knowing, sad expression.  
  
"You should leave." Mara declared, although her mind begged for the opposite from her friend. Their eyes locked for an instance, Urd catching the uneasiness in the demoness voice. The blonde slowly approached, her face heading southwards until their lips were almost touching.  
  
"Urd, I......." A sudden halt. A sigh "...You know it, don't you?" It was more like a fact than a question.  
  
"Yes." Was the single reply. The blond felt her head spin, being so close to the goddess. Their lips tenderly brushed, but before Mara could deepen the kiss she felt Urd squeeze their still clasped hands. Something metallic seemed to burn on her fingers, reminding Mara of the painful reality.  
  
She stood there for a second more than it was expected, seeming to debate something in her head, until she finally gave in and moved away.  
  
"Thank you" Urd said as she got up and kissed Mara's tears away. The demon eventually turned her face sideways, looking rather dreamily to the plain golden ring on the goddess fourth finger.  
  
"Go back to her. She already suffers too much." The red eyed demon pleaded as she continued to look at the interesting round object. Although Urd noticed the pain on her look, there wasn't much she could do.  
  
"I'm afraid to hurt her." She finally let it go, closing her eyes once more.  
  
"You won't."  
  
"How can you know?"  
  
"I just do."  
  
-----end flashback-----  
  
The wind pushed the clouds over the red moon one more time, making Mara snap out of her trance. In some way she was surprised to feel her face wet with burning, bright tears. She willingly closed her eyes, waiting for the rest to come to her.  
  
"She was my..." The voice in her head returned, but this time she paid no attention to it, as more recollections came to surface.  
  
"...my love..." it finally trailed off, leaving a broken Mara at her own thoughts.  
  
----------  
  
Megumi certainly didn't anticipate their conversation to follow that path. True, she'd never talked to a goddess before to know exactly what to expect from one, but it felt as she wasn't ready to know some of the things revealed to her then.  
  
She felt tired, both emotionally and physically. Taking a glance at Peorth she could tell that, divinity or not, she was in no better shape than herself. Perhaps it was the ideal occasion to call it a day and get some rest. Getting up from her seated position she muttered her good-nights and headed straight to the door. Peorth never said anything in return, despite her earlier spirit to talk. The light switch she previously searched for called her attention and Megumi looked at it as if it was some strange object from outer space. For some reason her mind struggled to give the thing a utility. When she finally managed to give it a purpose she debated on whether turning it off or leaving it as it was. She stole a glance back at Peorth, who still sat on the very same position as before, with her hands resting on a folded knee and head down.  
  
She sighed quietly and opted for hitting the switch as she left. It didn't seem as Peorth would mind the dark, after all.  
  
---------------  
  
Hours after everyone left for the tempting obliviousness of sleep, Peorth was still in trance with her own thoughts. Her mind urgently tried to find a way to lend a hand to World of Elegance, but no matter how much time she spent on it, the results where always the same. There was nothing else she could do to help Urd but wait. If that was to be considered any kind of help, that is.  
  
The night became cold, reminding the goddess that her current dressing wasn't exactly fit for the chilly weather. Her eyes scanned the room for some clothes and she considered taking a look at Belldandy's wardrobe. Some good sense left in her decided not to mess with the other goddess things and she eventually materialized a pair of blue jeans trousers and jacket.  
  
As her body started to warmer up the indolent touch of sleep reached her for the first time that night, its tender fingers caressing her mind with the talent of a skilled lover. She turned her head slightly to the side in a way she could see Urd's tranquil figure. The reflection that perhaps the cotton pyjama she was wearing wasn't enough to provide her protection from the cold pushed some of the sleep away.  
  
«Now... I can't let you die with cold, can I?» She thought rather depressed. The feeling of incapacity Belldandy felt earlier was not unknown to the raven haired goddess, but even so, it was still hard to bear it.  
  
As she was about to move closer to the injured deity though, a faint white light in one of the walls caught both hers and World of Elegance's attention right away. The angel assumed a defensive stance almost instinctively, while she restricted herself in watching the white light grow from a little dot in the wall to a big four-sided figure that reminded a door.  
  
«Could it be...?» She gasped, unsure of what to think exactly. Urd's angel remained frozen in that defensive stance for no more than a few more seconds, until it straightened itself to its full height and retreated its extended wings. Peorth searched for its face, and a tired smile was all she could perceive before the angel started to fade away.  
  
She would have smiled too, if her stunned intellect allowed her so at the moment.  
  
"A gate?!" She finally declared in her mind, feelings some hope she thought lost be reborn on her chest. She kneeled beside Urd, taking a moment to calm down. The silver haired beauty thought, started to actually feel the dull pain the wounds caused to her body, before masked with the aid of her partner. She moaned quietly, making Peorth snap back to reality. She gently lifted the troubled goddess on her arms, ever so carefully placing an arm around her neck. Urd hided her face on Peorth's smooth shoulder, as if wanting to seek refuge from the pain.  
  
"Don't worry Urd. I'm taking you home." Peorth stated calmly, slowly heading to the open gate. The last thing the goddess of Roses contemplated before leaving the mortal realm was that she would make sure that whoever opened the gate would be promoted when everything was over.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
( Further author's notes: hopefully next time I update this I'll be a paratrooper, but if I get some reviews from u guys I might as well update this before returning to the Army.. ja ne ) 


	9. chapter 8

NOTES: Ok... so the Army is taking its time to call me back... so I decided to update... again, this is dedicated to my dearest friend... the Evilsickcow... I hope you're ok.. and happy, wherever you are now

Btw, it's 6 in the morning, so pardon me if this has some grammar mistakes... I'll try to correct them when I have some free time... now, on with the story...

Maktub

Chapter 8

Peorth would have expected it all... all but the crowd that was formed around the area where the gate was raised. Everywhere she looked there were gods and goddess in a frozen state staring at her. On the top of the buildings...on the gardens... on the elevators... at the bridges... on the courtyards... everywhere! Those hundreds of eyes locked on her with such an expectant gaze that made her feel utterly uncomfortable. It was like Heaven had stopped to see her arrival.

---------flashback--------

"This is just crazy!" Peorth screamed on Urd's ear, holding to the platinum haired goddess like her life depended on it. Urd grinned mischievously as she spotted the wide ocean on the horizon. With a pull on the bridle, Sleipnir changed direction.

"Don't be such a spoil sport Peorth. This is fun!" There was a smile on Urd's lips as she said that. Not a playful smile, like the one she always wore when doing something she wasn't supposed to. The famous smile that would always bring her troubles... no... not that one. There was something genuine about it... something... strangely in place, but misplaced at the same time. Something white contrasting with something black.... Something good contrasting with something evil... and what a beautiful thing it was.

"You're gonna be soooo sorry about this Urd" Peorth declared, removing one hand from Urd's waist to remove some strands of hair from her mouth. With the speed the eight legged horse was getting, she was optimistically surprised she still hadn't eat all of her hair by now...

Of course the poor mythical beast choose this exact moment to jump over some large rock in the way, almost throwing the white skinned goddess off his back. She managed to hold her place, quickly embracing Urd again with more strength than necessary... and letting out an unnecessary ear piercing scream as well, that was not missed neither by the horse or Urd.

"Jeez... no need to scream like that. I still want to be able to hear when I'm old, you know?" Urd complained and Peorth made a face.

"Why darling, you're already old! Why bother?" Urd went into introspective mode after that. There were other times when Peorth called her "darling", true, but for some reason, this particular time, Urd didn't feel so comfortable as before. Perhaps it was their closeness playing tricks on her. Having the other goddess pressed against her back, holding her like there was no tomorrow... or her hot breath on her neck, that was sending chills along her spine since they mounted the horse.

"Hey, you're alright?" I didn't mean to offend you or anything..." Peorth's voice brought her attention back to real world.

"What?" Urd inquired, obviously not getting the point of Peorth's attempt to apologize.

"I'm sorry if I said you're old. I know you hate when someone says that." Peorth voice was little, as if she was a small child asking for forgiveness after breaking some precious treasure while playing. Urd had a blank look on her face, and it remained there, until her distant mind understood where the goddess of the roses was trying to get.

She mildly thanked God that Peorth couldn't see her features by then. She must have looked like a complete fool...and it was not part of Urd's character to make a fool figure of herself.

As the powerful horse got closer to the ocean Urd's worries faded away. She wasn't one to get angered over something so trivial after all. Her bright side came to surface as she turned her head to look Peorth in the eyes.

"Don't worry about it... You're not that much younger either way." She teased with a smile and a wink. Peorth, who was beginning to feel bad for having saying that, was taken back for a second. Not for Urd's joke, after all she knew that the other deity wouldn't be mad with her for too long. She found herself captured by the green eyes and the dazzling smile that was displayed before her. Her heart sunk to her stomach, and her head became awfully light. She felt a burning sensation on her cheeks and realized she must have been blushing, because Urd's smile grew even larger.

It was so like that half demon to tease her like that. First Peorth thought she was just doing what she did best... teasing others...but she eventually reached the conclusion that is was different with her. Urd didn't do it on purpose with her... at least not most part of the time...

There was a mutual eccentric feeling going between them and Peorth found it strange how could she be so easily touched by Urd's comments and actions... and how Urd would be equally affected when their roles were reversed. But between them... it all seemed so... natural.

Peorth realized she was holding her breath until now, in a way one would when expecting something to happen. She mentally cursed herself for blushing like that and desperately tried to come up with something that would remove Urd's deep gaze from her. Her eyes averted from Urd's for one second, and even if it wasn't already her intention, Peorth would have spoiled the moment the same way.

"Watch where you're going!" She half screamed again in Urd's ear as she realized how close they were from the sea. Urd turned to look at her path and thanked again that Peorth couldn't see her features as the horse approached the water. The younger goddess widened her eyes as she saw a big wave forming near the shore. At the speed the horse was going it didn't take a scientific genius to realize what was going to happen. She shut her eyes tightly and strengthened even more her iron hold around Urd's waist as she prepared to the impact.

And that was when something miraculous happened. The horse went straight through the wave like it was something as frail as a spider's web and continued galloping over the ocean as if it was running over a green field.

"Oh yeah!" Urd cheered as she let go out of the bridles and throw her hands up in the air. The mighty horse seemed to be enjoying himself as well as he ran happily over the ocean's water.

"You can quit trying to smash my bones now Peorth." Urd stated, clearly enjoying the ride. The other divinity, on the other hand, didn't seen so pleased to being standing drenched in the middle of the ocean, riding the craziest horse of the Universe after being almost scared to death.

"Hey... it's ok now, you can open your eyes." Peorth heard Urd saying, but it was the hand placed on top of hers that motivated the goddess of roses to effectively open her eyes. That was the first thing she noticed... the unfamiliar hand on top of hers. The second was that her white dress was plastered around her body and getting dangerously transparent over some places. But, as she raised her eyes to look at Urd directly and scold her, she understood the reason of it all and wisely shut her mouth.

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

The sun would melt into the ocean like a fire ball that drops to the earth. One could not tell where one ended and the other started. Seen from here, the sky only seemed like an extension of the very earth. And what they were riding was the pathway to heaven.

"You knew about this... didn't you?" Peorth inquired, with her mouth slightly open in awe. Urd brought one free hand to pull Sleipnir reigns, bringing the horse to a calm pace. Peorth looked around in fear that without the blazing speed, the animal would sink to the bottom of the ocean. She was shocked for the second time that day when the steed legs never started to disappear into the sea. The mythical beast would float over the serene water without effort, even if transporting extra weight on his back.

"What do you think?" Urd replied, looking back from the corner of her eyes. It was Peorth turn to go into introspective mode. She eyed Urd with a questioning look, earning a soft chuckle in response.

«Does she mean if I knew she'd been already here...? Or does she means what do I think of the view?» Peorth thought carefully, afraid of misinterpreting something. Urd's hand over hers was doing its tricks, making her all tensed up. «Why can't I think clearly when I'm around her?»

"Ne... tell me one thing." Urd's started, with her gaze fixed somewhere in the vast ocean. Peorth brought her eyes up to look at the back of her head passively.

"Why do you think I'm going to be sorry about this?" Her voice was quiet. Too quiet... Peorth raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, you did steal your father's horse again." She babbled in automatic mode, not really paying much attention to what she was saying. Or where the conversation was heading to...

"I couldn't care less about the dammed horse." The tanned goddess sighed after her statement and Peorth could feel her body tense up between her arms. It was clear something else was on Urd's mind.

"But I do care if I get problems with you for bringing you here like this." She half whispered the words, turning around her face so that she could face Peorth. Their faces were suddenly very close, a detail that wasn't missed by either of them. Peorth couldn't find her voice even if it grow into a monster and threatened to kill them both. She was intoxicated by Urd's closeness, her eyes fixed on the wet lips of her companion. Urd was too experiencing some kind of trance, but the question burning in the back of her mind wouldn't allow her to be as distracted as Peorth. In fact, when she didn't get an answer, her eyes dropped to her lap, where her left hand was still placed over Peorth's left one too.

"I'm sorry. I should've asked if you wanted to come with me here in first place. I don't know what" Peorth's index finger over her lips silenced her, but the elder goddess couldn't find the courage to face her friend. She was about to remove her hand to grab the reigns but Peorth's hand chased hers, keeping the contact.

"Don't say anything else. Please." Peorth pleaded, sounding heartbreak. She never meant to hurt Urd by not replying earlier, but the damage seemed to be done already.

"I wouldn't want to share this with anyone else... but you." She finished, hoping to put Urd's worries away. The other divinity blinked once, slowly, giving her brain some time to assimilate what Peorth had just said. When Urd finally managed to get out of her stupor she smiled faintly, planting a gentle kiss on Peorth's finger, that was still placed over her lips.

Needless to say that the pale goddess got redder than the sun before them. Urd smiled mischievously at her, reading her loss of composure. She found it amusing, how she could get this kind of reactions from Peorth, who was usually very cool around others.

"We should get going. We'll be late." Peorth advised, desperately scanning her brain for a reason to get Urd's intent look off her. She never thought she could blush this far in front of anyone. It was certainly fun when she made others blush, whatever the motives were, but she wasn't liking the experience. It made her feel... cornered.

"Yea..sure." Urd replied, with that knowing smile still adorning her features. With a kick in the ribs the grand animal resumed its running tempo, although this time at a slower speed. Even though there was still a long way to go until they reached their final destination, Urd didn't want to let go of the hand she was still holding to be able to safely ride the horse.

The idea of asking why they were going slower this time never crossed Peorth's mind. The moment was too good to be spoiled. Relaxing a little bit she rested her head on Urd's shoulder and quietly chanted a spell to dry their clothes. After that, not a single word was spoken between them as they continued their journey.

-----------------------

Eventually land appeared on the horizon. It was a green plain that went as far as the eye could see. There were no trees, no flowers, not even rocks on the fair plain. Just green grass, that always seemed to keep the same length, even if there wasn't nobody or anything to cut it. The only thing that ever existed in the green plains of Asgard was an old, but still impressive, stone temple. Next to it they could sight a multitude of people gathering, but they were all to busy chatting to notice their approach.

"Well... we're finally here." Peorth murmured, looking over the crowd of gods absently. Urd turned her face away and sighed. It was clear she didn't like what she saw. Peorth observed her reaction quietly, somehow expecting it from the other goddess.

"I know you don't like to attend to this kind of thing." She started and waited to see if Urd would reply to the comment. It wasn't a good thing to have Urd into an introspective mood when meetings like this occurred, but it wasn't something that could be helped. The goddess of the past genuinely hated appearing to public...

"You know you have to do this." Peorth continued, feeling bad for having to make Urd do something she knew the other goddess didn't want to. Even though Urd had reasons good enough to hate public appearances, some duties had to be carried on and Peorth wanted to be sure Urd wouldn't get in trouble for running from them.

"I just wish father wouldn't oblige me to come to these meetings." Urd finally declared. Her head was low and her spirit wasn't very bright as they keep approaching the stone temple and the crowd. She could see some soldiers moving around in a frantic swiftness now, aligning themselves to salute their arrival. In no time, the conversation stopped and all the heads were turned to their direction.

"Don't worry. I'll be there with you." She whispered in Urd's ear, her voice calm and assuring. The tallest goddess closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in a vain attempt to relax a little bit. With a pull on the bridle, Sleipnir reduced its speed to a calm pace. The crowd before them stood in perfect stillness, making the air feel heavy. They all stared at Urd with such an intense look that is was difficult to not feel intimidated by it.

One elder god stepped out of the multitude, placing himself at the end of the path made by the soldiers. He was rather tall, with grey hair and a small beard. He was wearing a white tunic, with only a black belt around his waist. Peorth identified him as one of the Elder Gods of The High Council of Heaven.

Urd eyed everybody with a distant look, her face held up high, giving her a rather unapproachable look. Sleipnir was finally brought to a stop under her command but she took a few seconds to dismount the animal. It was almost as she was expecting some reaction from the mob, but nothing ever happened, and she was kinda relieved by it.

With a swift movement she was off the horse. She patted the grand animal on the head, as if thanking it for the ride and finally turned to Peorth. Their eyes locked as Urd helped the other goddess dismount Sleipnir. Unspoken words of reassurance and encouraging were changed briefly, but they didn't help in making Urd less nervous about the whole situation.

They both turned their looks to the waiting multitude standing on the temple and finally began to walk the few steps that were separating them.

«Walk with me...» Urd mentally asked Peorth as they reached the top of the steps and stood before the countless gods. She offered her hand to her brown eyed companion and smiled with satisfaction when Peorth promptly take it.

"Urd, first born of Kami-sama. Daughter of the Lord of Light and the Lord of Shadows. Heir to the throne of Asgard and Muspeheliem. Commander of the Holy Army. The Princess of Heaven and Hell." The strong voice of the present Elder God made itself known, his words cutting the air perfectly as a sharp knife would cut through butter. Everybody kneeled and lowered their heads in respect as Urd started to walk towards the temple hand-in-hand with Peorth. Her eyes were cold as she scanned the silent multitude, as if daring to anyone to look at them from the corner of their eyes.

Of course, nobody dreamed of doing so.

--------------end flashback-------------

Peorth's eyes widened visibly as she was brought back to reality once again. She seemed lost for a moment as her thoughts and her memories chased each other like cat and dog.

«Where did that came from?» She asked herself, obviously confused by the unexpected flashback.

Some seconds passed by with none of the parts having any reaction whatsoever. Urd's difficult breathing finally brought Peorth's attention back to her.

The sensation of urgency returned to her in full force making her legs gain life and start to carry her to the Intensives Care building. Her arms tightened automatically around Urd as the blocking wall of gods around her didn't move out of her way. Peorth felt her heart stop in her chest.

«Is it going to be like this? » She thought, scanning her surroundings. Urd's once limp hand moved up to grab the fabric of her shirt with some urgency as her breathing became even more irregular. Peorth's eyes never left the crowd of Gods as she felt Urd's soundless plead. None of the gods present seemed touched by it though, and despair started to settle into Peorth's soul.

"Move out of the way." She tried, but her voice carried no authority at all. Her shoulders began to shake with tenseness.

"She doesn't belong here." A voice from the crowd emerged, and even if Peorth couldn't pinpoint who said it, from the look of things, it seemed that the voice spoke for all present. She blinked several times before she actually understood the reason of the rebellion.

"That's it? You're stopping me from helping someone who needs urgent care because she's not a pure goddess?" She sounded incredulous now. In fact, she was... very much so.

"She's half-demon. We don't have any obligation in helping her." The voice made itself heard again, getting an irate reaction from Peorth.

"You call yourself Gods? You don't help someone because it's your obligation. You do it because that's what is right! What's got into you? Is this Father's wish?" She mildly screamed to the multitude, eyes set on everyone, but no one in particular. There were a few seconds of silence, and for an instant a sparkle of hope lighted in the raved haired goddess heart.

"It is not our place to question the Lord's wishes." The incredulity of it all made Peorth feel an ocean of sensations at the same time. First amazement... then denial... then rage... and finally desolation and deep sadness.

«It will be always like this. First she's a half-demon. Then she's a half-goddess» Her vision started to get foggy as she looked down at the agonizing beauty in her arms, and the feeling of incapacity followed. She started to speak again, and even though her voice was nothing but a notch beyond a whisper, all could be heard in the silent atrium of Yggdrasil.

"You know how did she got like this?" She started, with her eyes downcast all the way.

"It was not on some stupid, violent demon game, or evil act, as you think it's all she does. Perhaps, if she was living to her reputation, she could be eating chocolate cookies and drinking tea by now! And her sisters, well... they would be being buried six feet under ground in the plains of Asgard."

Silence encouraged her to continue.

"She was trying to save her sisters from a beserk demon. She was trying to do our jobs!!! To keep demons from harming others!" Her head snapped up with frustration and she eventually locked eyes with a girl within the crowd. She wasn't nothing more than a child, a little younger than Skuld, and had the most beautiful black eyes she'd ever seen. She had also her attention focused on something that Peorth couldn't quite tell with precision. In time she followed the girl's gaze, finding out what had captivated the small goddess attention.

Urd's robes were getting drenched in blood, and small drops were silently falling to the ground. Peorth understood it all too well. It should be the first time the kid ever saw blood on her life. She felt somewhat guilty, for having presented the youngster to the revolting reality, but there wasn't anything she could do either.

When nobody made any mention to move at all, Peorth finally let it go.

"I am certainly not letting her die without having tried everything I could to save her. I can be only one first class goddess against all of you, but if I fall, be sure I'm not going to be the only one." Her eyes spoke things like regret and grief, but also determination. Her shoulders started to shake even harder than before.

And yet, no one moved from their frozen-like positions. Peorth wondered if she was taken seriously at all.

Unaware of all the attention paid to her, Urd let out a pained groan and clinched to Peorth's shirt desperately. A flick of electricity ran down her arm, making her hand jerk away from the standing goddess. Peorth surely felt the needling pain in her chest, but she let no visible reaction out. She wouldn't give them that much pleasure.

«Please, don't make me do this» She begged, as she closed her eyes and began to reunite her powers altogether.

.....

"Don't..."

Thousands of heads turned to one direction at the same time. The voice that broke the stillness wasn't the same cold, stern one from before. It was a small, unsure plead. Peorth opened her eyes slowly, moving them to where she thought having heard the petite voice. She watched passively as the little girl from before wept and grabbed a nearby goddess dress. The woman, supposedly her mother, looked bewildered at her infant, then at Urd again. Her gaze fell to the ground as she picked her crying daughter in her arms, whispering words of comfort in her ears.

She didn't care also when the multitude of gods gasped in what... surprise? Shock? Disbelief? The truth is that the goddess didn't care at all for them, or what they would think of her. Enough was enough. And so she took a step to the side as a male god embraced her by the waist and ruffled the infant's hair.

Peorth watched it all, without knowing what to think. Soon after the couple had moved, as if a domino's piece that falls automatically when one is taken down, dozens of gods backed away. A path was formed within the mob, giving Peorth room to move forward.

She looked around, kinda suspicious, noticing that while some gods didn't had the heart to face her, others were staring with death armed on their looks. Nevertheless, she lowered her fighting spirit and started to take small, somewhat hesitant steps towards the Medical Unit. When nobody made any mention to stop her she just forgot all her uneasiness and swiftly changed her tempo to a fanatical run.

--------------

Even if she didn't have visited the Medical Wing of Yggdrasil for centuries now, she made no mistake in getting there. As she passed through many buildings to reach her desired destination some minor gods who weren't at the entrance before would stop to look at her amazed.

"Isn't that the half-demon in Peorth's arms?"

"What happened? Is she injuried?"

"Never seen the Halfling looking that desperate before..."

The murmurs would go on and on, but as far as Peorth was concerned, it didn't matter at all. Let Heaven talk about whatever they want... at least as long as they were occupied gossiping around, they would leave her alone. She could handle them later...

Her arms were getting tired of supporting Urd's beaten body for some time and her legs were also getting weary from all the running. Peorth internally cursed the ones that saw her difficulties and didn't move a straw to help her. She wouldn't have expected better from them, judging they would be helping no other than Urd, but still she found it hard to be reminded of how gods can be so... abject.

A tall, white structure, with massive pearl doors came into view, much to the gratification of the goddess of roses. She found some extra strength just by the sight of it all. Her legs moved faster than before, making her almost trip in her feet more than once. Within a few seconds she dashed into the majestic edifice, opening the colossal doors with a quick spell. Some fairies and others healing gods turned their attention from their patients to look at the running intruder, clearly taken aback by Peorth's entry in the usual serene place.

"Hey, you can't enter here like that!" One of them shouted, alarmed. Peorth didn't acknowledge him and continued her mad dash. The god, not liking to be ignored, roused from his chair and gave chase.

"Hey! Stop!" He demanded, but obtaining no success at all. Peorth never stopped to look back at him, as she headed for some specific place within the medical facility. Urd groaned in pain in her arms, coughing some blood on Peorth's shirt. The goddess cursed under her breath as her eyes darted between the woman in her arms and a large glass door at the end of the corridor.

"What is th.." One of the doctors inside began to complain as Peorth kicked the door with one leg and rushed inside. His eyes seemed to double in size when he comprehended who exactly the raven haired goddess was placing in the unoccupied litter of the room.

"By the Almighty... what happened?" He managed to mumble, as some other goddess reached to the site of the uproar and gasped as they looked over his shoulder. The chasing god finally arrived as well and was about to make a scene when Peorth finally lost it all.

"Cut the questions, just help her." She demanded, pointing at the white dressed gods and goddess present. They didn't wait for another command, each one of them dropping whatever they were doing and rushing to Urd's side.

"You, get the hell out of here! I don't have time for you now!" She shouted, with her attention focused on Urd's. The platinum haired divinity was nervous enough to not let anyone essentially help her. She kept moving around in her bed, one hand grabbing the tidy sheets as the other was enlaced with one of Peorth's own hand.

"Just who do you think you are?" You can't com..."

"I said OUT! You're in enough problems as it is now, don't make things any worse for you." She hissed through gritted teeth, this time looking at him with daggers in her eyes. He gulped audible, and took a step back in fear. Casting a look at the doctors and receiving a reassure nod in response he decided to leave the scene quietly, and half hopped that he wouldn't be remembered by the woman inside. If looks could kill... he was pretty sure he would be feeding worms right now.

Finally freed from her audience, Peorth returned her attention to Urd. While some doctors were dragging several bizarre looking machines to her bedside one other was ripping her shirt apart, trying to get a view of the wounds. Urd would not contribute at all, as she wouldn't stay still, with her evident efforts to breath.

"You have to help us Lady Peorth." A blond goddess called for her, and Peorth wondered how she knew who she was. She analyzed the other female passively as she attached an IV to Urd's left arm as well as several others wires to her body. They locked eyes for an instant, before the healer deity turned around to press several buttons on some nearby piece of equipment.

Peorth didn't need to hear anything else to snap out of her frozen like state. She immediately leaned closer to the fallen goddess, never letting go of their linked hands.

"Urd, listen to me. You have to calm down to let them help you." She tried to resonate, but she wasn't sure if her words were reaching her companion. Urd seemed so lost in her pain that she didn't seem to apprehend anything around her. Her back arched when yet another trail of energy passed through her, tearing her muscles apart.

"20 milligrams of Epibatidine." One voice called out and in the next instant there was a new drug being injected on Urd's body.

"Pressure dropping."

"Heart rhythm approaching critical values."

Peorth would look at them with fear, then at her friend with deep concern. One nurse tried to put an oxygen mask to aid her breathing, yet Urd would struggle and keep it impossible for the other to do her job. Peorth finally let go her hand to hold Urd's face in place, as she reached closer to her.

"Urd." She called, this time more quietly, but in a more serious tone than before. Urd opened her shut eyes to stare straight into Peorth's worried ones, and become quiet for a second. Something flashed through those leaf green eyes, leaving Peorth to wonder. It was like Urd recognized something in her.

"Tasukete" She weakly whispered, letting a lonely tear roll down her tanned cheek. Her free hand, which was holding the bed's sheet with amazing strength not more than a few seconds ago, lost it grip and now lied limply by her side. Peorth grabbed it again and gave it a strong squeeze as she took the oxygen mask from the nurse's hands and placed it around Urd's mouth and nose.

"She's not going to make it like this. We're risking a heart failure at any second!" One of the nurses shouted as she read the information given by the machines around.

"Yggdrasil, release locks from blood bank from 1 to 3." A blond doctor called out while preparing another shot of god knows what to inject Urd with.

"**Acknowledge. Permission granted to Sodoma, license 24827994. Releasing locks from 1 to 3**."

Peorth recognized the robotic voice of the living system and watched intrigued as 3 round metallic containers sprout from the ground. She could only guess why they were keeping simple sacks of blood locked and protected by the World Tree. At some other time she would have asked about it, but now her mind was too preoccupied with Urd's survival to care about such things.

Despite all the efforts from the various doctors around, Urd didn't seem to be capable of pulling through the excruciating pain that assaulted her body. Her eyes slowly closed as she stopped to struggle for breathing. Peorth felt scared.

"We have a flat line!"

---------flashback---------

Peorth smiled happily as she contemplated her job. Hundreds of red roses were blossoming beautifully as a result of her hard work. If the Rose Garden was so well known in Heaven, it was for a purpose. The platform it was in was erected over the God's city, where no bird or bee would reach to damage the roses and even if only few had access to her personal paradise, Peorth was very proud of the reputation it acquired through the rumors. In her opinion, it was the only accurate gossip running between her fellow gods.

She got up from her crouched position and scanned the sea of roses, truly satisfied with the sighting she was given. Pruning shear in one hand she started to head for the other side of the garden when she spotted a lonely figure at the iron gates of the Garden.

"Urd..." She found herself whispering the goddess name as she identified the beauty before her. She was dressed in a pure white sleeveless robe that contrasted perfectly with her tanned skin. Two thin golden belts on her waist and a pair of white sandals that tangled up her long legs were all Urd needed to make her look absolutely astonishing.

Peorth couldn't suppress a smile when they eyes met. Urd uncharacteristically broke the eye contact and started to walk around the Garden, finding the roses interesting all of a sudden.

"So, what brings you here?" Peorth questioned, feeling the need to start a conversation. Urd smiled gently at her as she pointed to the roses below her feet.

"Them." She replied, starting to make the Goddess of Roses curious. Which was never a good thing. Peorth was always one with short patience on mind games. She giggled softly, putting a hand on her hip.

"I didn't know you were interested in roses." She commented, trying to get a better response from the goddess of the Past. The wind blew hard, throwing Peorth's hair against her face. She held it in place with one hand, never taking her eyes off Urd.

"Well... your garden is rather well-spoken around here... and there too..." Urd stated as she pointed down with her index finger. Peorth made a surprised face, not being aware that the reputation of her roses had reached Hell already.

"I wonder who told them about my roses" Peorth commented absentmindedly with a charming smile on her lips.

"Well... It's hard to talk about you and not mention the roses, you know." The silver haired deity laughed slightly as she spoke the words, gaining a warning look from Peorth.

"It's not like growing roses is all I do." She pointed out, pretending to sound offended. Of course it didn't work with Urd.

"I would say you spend an awful part of your time here." Urd replied, kneeling down to grab a rose from the floor.

"You sound like you're jealous of the roses!" Peorth joked, willing to end the conversation and continuing with her work. This wasn't leading them to anywhere anyway.

"What if I am?"

---blllennkkk----

It wasn't Peorth's intention to drop her pruning shear like that on the floor. But the shock was big and she couldn't quite believe her ears, even if she knew she didn't imagine the words.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scary you or anything." Urd immediately apologized as she pretended to pay attention to the flower on her hands. Peorth always felt it was strange for Urd to apologize over so many things to her. It wasn't part of her character or even her role as royalty to do it, but around her, things were always different.

"What are you doing dressed in your royal attires anyway?" Peorth tried to change the subject as she noticed the two golden bracelets Urd was using. She eventually dropped the idea of resuming her work with the roses and went to one of the platform's edges. Looking at the view from there always made her feel at peace.

"There's going to be another reunion in the High Council...I was hoping you would join me." Urd spoke, playing with the red rose in her hands, carefully avoiding its thorns. Peorth half smiled at her request, finally reaching the edge of the platform and looking down at the city they lived in. She could even see Vahalla from here!

A few minutes passed by without her answering the unasked question. No matter how hard she tried to change her line of thought, she would always end up thinking about Urd. How she would make her feel at bliss one time and sad the other. How one little comment could send her heart to the moon and other sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

«Is this what I think it is?» Peorth thought as she embraced herself. It was getting rather cold up there and the strong wind blowing didn't help much. Peorth never knew if Urd was still around or not until she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind. She never heard her footsteps as she approached her, but now Urd's soft breathing on her neck was the most beautiful sound she thought she would ever hear.

She welcomed the embrace that made her heart race inside her chest with such ferocity that almost hurt. Her eyes closed automatically as she leaned on the warm body beside her, completely forgetting the world around them.

«The way she looks at me.... The way she talks at me... The way she holds me...it all makes me feel....» Peorth mind continued her sweet torment for the longest time. Neither of the goddess could exactly tell how long they stood there, not speaking a word, just enjoying each other company.

Peorth eyes's opened when she felt Urd's arms leaving her waist. She turned to look at the silver haired goddess back as she took elegant steps towards the exit of the Garden. She couldn't quite say why she was trembling now... if it was 'cause of the cold she was feeling from standing there at the strong wind mercy or from the icy sensation she got in her soul when Urd left her.

She felt confused...

disoriented....

At loss....

"Urd" She cried out, making the older goddess stop in her tracks and turn to look at her. The anticipated attention only served to make Peorth even more tensed up, as she desperately tried to come up with something to say. There were so many things she wanted to speak of... of the new hidden feelings she was experiencing... of the agonizing sensation in her heart... but she couldn't bring herself to tell Urd about none of it.

The doubts and fears lasted until Peorth mastered to courage to look up and meet Urd eyes. When she saw herself being reflected in the teary eyes of the Norn of the Past all her uncertainties were washed away. It was a look that spoke of love and rejection... of pain and hope... of concern and deep caring....

With small, calm steps, Peorth eventually reached to Urd. Their eyes always remained locked as the raven haired goddess placed a hand behind Urd's neck, bringing her head slightly down until their noses touched. There was a little hesitation as they lost themselves in each other eyes.

The world ceased to exist once more around them as their lips finally touched in a chaste kiss that sent chills down their spines.

When they parted it was only to repeat the process over and over again, until the kisses got deeper and more passionate. It was like their souls merged into one at that moment, forgetting about their immortal shelves and intertwining perfectly around each other. For that moment... they were one... only one... and nothing else mattered...

-------end flashback----------

"Clear"

"We have a pulse!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's notes:** This fic is still dedicated to the **EvilSickCow**, someone who supported me for the longest time. I wish to know what happened to you girl, and even thou I fear the worse, I hope u're alright.

It's been very, very difficult for me to keep writing this fic 'cause beside the lack of time, it makes me think too much, which, believe me, is NOT a good thing.

To finish, I would like to dedicate this particular chapter to **PEORTH-CHAN**, my crazy friend who helped me and encouraged me in updating this. Thank u very much for everything, Peo-chan!

If u guys like it and want to read more.. u know it ne?

**REVIEW!**

/me writes for reviews…

sweet, lovely reviews

enough with the babbling…

on with the show…

_**MAKTUB**_

**CHAPTER 9**

_How long is too long to wait?_

Just how long is too long?

A fly lives for about two days…a butterfly, maybe three…humans last for about 70 or 80 years. Turtles and trees lifespan is surely greater... and yet…

What is a day for a Goddess who has eternity ahead? A month? What is a year, or a century, then? A trip to a distant land, maybe? Some course of some bizarre matter…a reunion with old friends? Perhaps even a walk with the dog outside? It never mattered…not for those who almost created time itself…none of these things could be compared to a Goddesses expectancy of existence.

If not for professional motives, it would be incoherent for them to possess watches and other mechanisms to keep control of time. Imagine the mental torture of counting all of your millions years of life… In fact, if there was something an immortal being truly hated was keeping track of time.

..and that was only the first of many motives of why Peorth was irritated enough to kill someone with one look.

She didn't know seconds were so large…she wasn't aware minutes took so long to pass by. In her mind she tried to somehow organize her thoughts. She soon found it was impossible to do so. No matter about what or whom she tried to think about, she would always end her line of thought inside the small, crowed room in front of her.

Is she going to make it?

Will they help her with everything they've got?

Was I too late?

Should I have been more aggressive?

Should I have pushed our way through the mob?

These questions chased each other through Peorth's mind, each one of them triggering the next one, in a new, vicious way. Finally, after walking around in circles in anxiety, kicking some chairs in frustration and breaking some vases in sheer fury the porcelain skinned deity sat on a bench and hide her face in her hands, feeling utterly impotent.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would calm down." An unknown voice came from above, making Peorth raise her head once more. Her eyes scanned the ceiling, but she couldn't see a thing, blinded by the strong white lights that illuminated the room.

"Sounds like someone I know… a female voice it was, certainly… but who?" Peorth asked to herself, somewhat happy to have something to keep her mind distracted, not even for just a few minutes. She decided to keep listening as the stranger spoke again.

"I was surprised to see how well you handled the situation out there. Didn't thought you would be so collected to actually speak your way out of it, instead of just pushing in." The voice was calm and clear, and it carried no intention whatsoever in mocking anyone. Peorth raised an eyebrow and tried to look up again. Before averting her eyes she could spot a silhouette hanging in the ceiling.

Definitely a woman, she decided, rubbing her damp eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. She heard a soft chuckle from above being followed by a light tap on the ground, indicating that the individual had landed somewhere behind her.

"I mean, for someone in your position I assume you had to hold a hell of a lot back."

That last statement washed away all of Peorth's doubts and possible curiosity. There was only one person, besides God himself and the elders from the High Council that would be familiar with such issue.

"So, how much longer would you wait to interfere, had I not kept my head in place?" Peorth asked in as-a-matter-of-fact way.

"Half a heartbeat." came the quick answer, earning a small lift up of the Goddess of Roses' lips.

"Why you're here Rind?" Who sent you?"

There was no reply to the question, as Peorth imagined there wouldn't be. But the concerned look fixed on the glass doors spoke for itself.

"It's not like you cared for all of these years. Why this, all of a sudden?"

"This is different, and you know it." Rind turned around and walked to her companion's side. Peorth turned her head sideways so that she could face the Goddess of the axe. There was a mix of seriousness and genuine concern covering Rind's features, making Peorth's sourness vanish.

"Yes. I know it." It wasn't Rind's fault, so she just couldn't go and ease her frustrations on her, but her brain seemed to refuse working on cooler temperature right now.

"So… Are you alright?" There was some wavering in the question, but it was nice of Rind to ask, anyway.

"Yea… sure… why wouldn't I be?" The reply came so dry that Rind couldn't exactly tell if it was full of sarcasm or just plain chilliness.

"I don't know. Really, I wonder why you would be…" Even if it wasn't like Rind to be cynical, she just couldn't stop herself from paying in the same coin. Peorth took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her medium-length hair.

"Oi… It's not like that anymore… I…" She was suddenly interrupted by a doctor that came out from the small room. His pristine white uniform was covered in the deep red liquid that was Urd's blood and there was a mix of tiredness and sadness adorning his features.

"Peorth-sama!" He called out, effectively having the Goddess by him in a second. She half jumped off the bench she had been sitting on, only then she noticed her legs were shaking. Her mouth couldn't articulate the words to ask how Urd was, so she just restricted herself on staring at him. And what a stare it was…

The male doctor gulped visibly under her gaze, and Peorth knew by heart what he was going to say before the words came out. Why they always look down when giving such news? Why can't they at least look you in the eyes when telling that your world is crumbling at your feet? Was it shame? Fear? Humiliation? Plain old disinterest? Or perhaps even pity…

She wanted to hear it from his mouth though, and made no mention to make some move to ease his situation. Nor she would, and she could not… Sheer desolation had taken control of her every limb, leaving her in a near frozen state. It came unnoticed, slowly and gently, like night taking over day.

"We did all that was possible." He decided to start with that same old-fashioned, lazy, bloody excuse that everybody used when they couldn't accomplish something. Peorth could feel the first waves of anger start to build up. The doctor noticed, but somehow managed to find the guts to keep on.

"She's lost too much blood and the injuries are too critical…" One raised hand commanded him to stop. She thought she wanted to hear it from someone else, so that she could believe it, but now, this… reality always has a way to hit you harder than you expected… not that she thought it would be easy, but this was just unbearable.

With some lost steps she found herself standing beside the heavy glass door. Only one pair of eyes followed her moves as she rested one palm and her forehead on the cold glass. Her downcast eyes seemed to weigh tons as she tried to bring them up to at least look inside the room.

The blood-soaked clothes didn't match with the platinum hair and tanned skin. All the surgical utensils and medical equipments seemed to be the wrong companion. It couldn't all just end like that for her…for them. There was still so much she wanted to discuss, so much to remember, so much to laugh, to cry, to mourn, to play, to construct and destroy… so many things to do…

-----------flashback------------

The scenery was Heaven—Ever beautiful, ever peaceful, ever dazzling Heaven. Two young, Goddesses could be spotted near a great lake, lying serenely in the tall grass.

"So, tell me. Did you convince him?" The black haired one asked, seeming a little anxious. There was a childish smile that she couldn't get out of her face, like an infant that stands over a Christmas tree and can't stop grinning when they see the presents spread out under it. The dark skinned Goddess though, who was lying on her back reading through some sort of document, didn't seem to notice.

"What did he say?" She continued, not waiting for a reply; when she got the same result as before she rolled over from her sitting position to lie down beside Urd, giving her a questioning look.

She was about to make her presence forcible acknowledged when she noticed the concentrated look on Urd's features. Her frowned brows and almost controlled breathing seemed to indicate that the Goddess of the Past's mind was far, far away from them right now. But instead of feeling annoyed by it, Peorth soon found herself intoxicated by her companion's stance, and forgot her dissatisfaction before it even came.

It was always like this for her. No matter what they were doing, where they were, with who they were, if she stopped to look at Urd for just a few moments, she would lose track of time, of place, and even reality itself. The world would close around them and she would become blind to everything except Urd. It always amazed herself how the feeling could come on at any time with the same strength as when it first happened.

She would be first hypnotized by the green eyes that spoke a language that would set words to shame, the lips that would make silk envious of its softness, the peachy skin that felt like a rose's petal, the loose platinum hair that so well contrasted with her skin tone.

In her dream-like state, Peorth readjusted her position, supporting her upper body on her elbows and resting her chin on one hand. She already had decided not to disturb her, at least until all the reading was done. That was, until she noticed.

There was that petite, almost imperceptible lift up of the corner of her lips, indicating that she knew Peorth was observing her, and she was enjoying having her completely entranced, like a butterfly in a spider's web, without the smallest amount of effort.

«Why you...» Peorth felt like a fan that was caught looking at a great superstar, longing, dreaming. Her eyes darted between the documents on Urd's hands and the mischievous smile that so mocked her.

«Oh, to hell with it!» She thought, before throwing herself at Urd and claiming her lips with her own in a wild, passionate kiss. Urd offered no resistance at all, clearly taking pleasure from the contact herself. Peorth felt deceived the second time that day when she felt Urd's smile even through the kiss.

«She knew I was going to do this.» She thought to herself as they ended the kiss. Their eyes met and Peorth confirmed her suspicious when she apprehended the playful glimpse on Urd's eyes.

"You..." She started, feigning anger.

"Yes." Urd cut her, not bothering to look guilty.

"How..."

"Sorry." She chuckled, almost closing the distance between them again. She stopped mere millimeters from Peorth's lips, waiting, provoking. The white skinned Goddess resisted for no more than two seconds before capturing Urd's lips again.

This time Urd didn't laugh and the kiss lasted for the longest time. Peorth couldn't think of anything else she could have wanted in a kiss. It was sweet, full, passionate, delicate, soft and warm at the same time. She felt like the ground had been swiped away from beneath her and she was floating in the heavenly clouds. For a brief instant she wondered if Urd felt the same way.

"Every time." Urd murmured quietly as they parted once more. Peorth eyes dove into hers, questioning. The smile she got in return was so heartbreaking that she let the matter go, just like that.

"Kissing a little demon like you is almost a sin, you know?" Peorth remarked playfully, breaking the tension around them a little bit.

"Ara…Give me back my sin, then!" Urd replied, this time taking the lead and catching Peorth off guard. They struggled for control of the kiss, but Peorth's better position gave her great advantage.

"Don't you think you have me tied around your little finger like that…" Peorth told to her lover, breaking the kiss momentarily. Urd smiled before resuming the trail of caresses on Peorth's ears, neck, nose and finally her lips.

"Don't I?" She murmured between them, gaining a pinch in the stomach for that. They both laughed good naturally and rolled over themselves, ending up sitting against a large nearby rock, with Peorth cuddled within Urd's arms.

"Ne, what are those anyway?" Peorth asked as she spotted the papers that Urd was still holding in one of her hands. The taller Goddess didn't answered and simply handed them over to the woman in her arms and started to stroke her hair ever so gently. Peorth melted under her touch and leaned herself more against Urd, feeling totally captivated. Her eyes started to scan the documents ever so lazily and it didn't take long for a sad sigh escape her lips.

"Why does Father hand you these?" She asked, more to herself than Urd. She continued to read the details written with a complicated, yet fine-looking script. It was nothing more than a lawsuit against some young god who had accidentally messed up with Yggdrasil core files, endangering the maintenance of the whole system. Even though the act itself was extremely grave, it stated in the report that the boy was nothing more than an apprentice and was yet learning to work with the world tree.

"He says that I'm to learn on how to make decisions based on facts, instead of emotions and impulses, due to Urd explained, not sounding very pleased with her Father's orders.

"You mean you're sending this boy to execution?" There was no hatred in Peorth's voice as she formulated the question. Sadness perhaps, but she had no way but to understand that things had to be that way. Despite her position in Heaven's hierarchy, Urd was far too young and immature to go against the Lord's commands. Even though Urd once said she wouldn't want Peorth to feel sorry for her, she couldn't hold back the feeling.

"Come with me." Urd requested quietly, getting up on her feet and helping Peorth do the same. The fact that the previous question was let unanswered didn't go unnoticed by Peorth, but she decided in not pushing the subject.

The white haired Goddess started to walk towards the calm waters of the lake, not bothering to look back to see if Peorth was following. It wasn't needed, of course, since she could almost hear her companion's heartbeat behind her. Peorth followed her until the border, where the first miracle of that day happened.

She stared in complete awe as Urd continued walking forward, into the lake. Her feet never sunk into the crystalline water as she moved gracefully above the lake. Although her body was embraced by a white light that gave her an angelical look, Peorth could tell she wasn't using even the slightest bit of power to levitate.

Urd eventually stopped a few meters ahead and turned back on what she considered being the love of her life. With a stretched hand and a trusting smile she invited Peorth to join her. The Goddess of the roses breathed deeply before taking a hesitant step forward. Like she imagined it would be, her feet dived in the water, and the silly thought that it was a little bit cold crossed her mind for a split second.

The smile on Urd's face never changed, she noticed, as she raised her eyes to look at the standing Goddess in front of her. Not wanting to be left behind she just flew to Urd, who gave her a scolding look for cheating. Nevertheless she reached out for Peorth, grabbing her by the waist and bringing her down to her level, holding her close. Peorth tried to rest one foot on water, and wasn't that much surprised that she wouldn't sunk into the lake now.

"You're becoming like Him, every passing day." The younger Goddess remarked, wondering if her comment had been misunderstood when Urd's look got serious.

"Ne…" Urd started, arousing the first waves of apprehension and curiosity from Peorth with her unusual wavering.

"Someday, in a not so distant future, I'll claim the Kingdom of Heaven and Hell from Father and Mother." Urd rested her forehead against Peorth's as she spoke, making the other Goddess start to tremble in her arms, for some reason. Peorth could almost touch her lover's terror and depression of the sheer thought of being assigned that responsibility. She soon found herself planting a small, comforting kiss on Urd's lips, as if wanting to say to everything was going to be alright, that she would be there for her.

"Death sentences… and so much more will be given by the lips that you kiss." Urd continued, finding interest in her feet all of a sudden. Peorth understood it all by then. The fear Urd had that she wouldn't be loved anymore when such a time would come.

One hand was raised at the level of their eyes as the other slowly brought Urd's face up to meet hers. Peorth caressed the golden ring on her finger with her thumb as she smiled ever so charmingly.

"When I agreed on wearing this… be sure I was aware of all the things you fear right now. I fell in love with a Goddess that, like everyone else, has her duties and imperfections. I don't ask flawlessness of you Urd." Her words touched something within Urd's heart, who hugged Peorth in a vain attempt to hide her tears. They stood like that for some moments, neither of them wishing to talk or move. But there were still matters to be discussed.

"Ne… the Elders warned Father that a Dark Period is coming." Urd's husky voice reached Peorth once more, with the same apprehension as before.

"I know." Peorth sighed.

"They don't know what is to happen to me. I'm to be left under the Combat Division supervision for the time being." Peorth knew what that meant. It meant that if anything went wrong, she was to be… contained… before things got out of control.

"I'm scared." And that was the second miracle of the day. Urd finally admitting, verbally, with all the words, that she was indeed afraid. Not only worried or thoughtful about the whole scene, but frightened.

"I know. So I am. But I'll be there with you." Peorth whispered on her ear, hugging her tighter. Urd eventually freed herself from Peorth's arms, only to kiss her again with a fervent passion, an almost desperate need.

«When that time comes, if anything changes, for some reason…» Urd's voice echoed inside Peorth head, making her feel a little faint. The grip Urd had on her though, was enough to keep her on place.

«Remember me this way.» The voice inside her head pleaded as they continued to kiss until both ran out of air and had to break apart. Urd finally felt herself easing up in Peorth's company, and the playful look returned to her eyes.

"By the way, he _did_ approve on giving me vacations." Urd stated, hardening the grip she had on Peorth's waist on raising her in the air.

"There are still a lot of things I want to show you before more serious matters come between us." In her arms, Peorth giggled happily, pleased to know that they would have some time only to themselves after all. She circled her own arms around Urd's neck and brought her face down to the last kiss of that evening. One so full of love and meaning that made Urd's legs tremble and sent them to the bottom of the lake…

«I love you.» Peorth thought as they engaged in a healthy play in the water, laughing and smiling like the two young Goddess they were supposed to be.

----------end flashback-----------

Peorth eyed the three female doctors inside the white room with little interest as the memories came to her. Rind thought she would stay in that dream like state for a while, had not the doctor called for her attention.

"Peorth-sama… I'm sor-" He never got to finish the sentence. One strong hand on his neck, tightening up the sufficient for him to start feeling his bones cracking killed his little speech. Rind eyed the scene carefully, ready to prevent Peorth from doing something she'll regret later.

"Listen to me, boy." She spat the words, as something seemed to snap within her. Her eyes spoke things like death and pain as she claimed everything with her look.

"You are going back to that room, and if Urd doesn't survive, you can rest assured that instead of one dead Goddess, there will be five of them when this is over." The threat was clear, and Rind wondered if Peorth would be willing to take it seriously, if the doctors would not be able to save Urd's life. If she had to judge based on the seriousness of her face at that moment, she said she would. That and much more.

Peorth's grip on the doctor's neck eased up and he lost a few seconds trying to get his breath back before he entered the room again. From the outside Peorth could see them frantically working over Urd's fallen figure, using not only the medical utensils but magic as well in their attempts to keep Urd among them. At that moment Peorth didn't care if she could kill them with sheer exhaustion. She wanted Urd safe, by any and all means necessary.

"So… It's not like that anymore, huh?" Rind remarked with a somewhat serious yet mocking look on her face. Peorth turned to her, silently asking for not one word more about the subject. And with that, they both left the waiting room, each one of them directed to different places.

---------------------

If there was one unique room that Peorth truly loathed, even more than the medical wing, was the High Council Chamber. Even if its structure itself was almost impossible to dislike, with all its dark wooden furniture, pristine white walls and abundant plants and statues of all sort, the matters that usually brought her there were enough to make her absolutely hate the place.

After walking around a little bit her small steps leaded her to a striking, daunting door. She eyed the two seraphim guarding the area with little interest as she stopped to take a deep breath. She noticed her hands were shaking and sweating from the edginess, making her feel at loss for some moments.

«I must calm myself. They'll notice I'm nervous the second I enter the room if I keep like this.» amidst her thoughts it took her a while to notice that indeed, from the other side of the grand door, they had already perceived her emotional state. The feeling was eerie, like having eyes scanning your own mind and soul, without you having the slightest authority to protect your thoughts and emotions from outsiders.

«I must be strong now, for her.» Peorth inhaled deeply as she opened the heavy door with both hands. Two pair of eyes followed her every moves, as if saying that if she was to enter that room, she wouldn't get out. She just ignored the unspoken warnings of the seraphim's, and that small act gave a boost on her spirit. She felt her courage and bravery rise once again as she finally got in. The attentive stare of thirteen gods failed to intimidate her now. She locked eyes with one particular god that sat at the top of the marble table in the heart of the room.

"Benison, I ask of thee." Peorth prayed as she bowed to her Lord and Creator. With a caring smile and a trusting hand he gesture her to sit.

"Rise, my Child, and come sit by us, for we have much to discuss." She obeyed Him promptly, never failing to notice the icy tone his deep voice carried. Even if it wasn't like Him to show feelings in front of others, she could tell even the Almighty was tense about the whole situation. She finally sat at the exact opposite of Him, at the other side of the table.

All the twelve Elder Gods present observed her every movement; the way she sat, the way she rested her hands on the cool marble surface of the table, even the way she blinked and breathed. But Peorth thought that if even the Creator was apprehensive himself, she had the right to be a little nervous as well.

She ended up returning their stares with a confident look, earning an approving smile from the Lord. If the Elders thought she would come there with her tail between her legs, she would prove them wrong.

"What is the condition of the First Born?" One of them asked, and Peorth recognized him as Mathusaleus, the oldest of the Elders.

"Still far too critical for deep analyses. She is to survive though. Recovering time can't be premeditated." Peorth stated, satisfied with her safe answer. The inquiring god nodded with his head as he scratched his fine beard with one hand.

"Perhaps the only good news we'll have in this meeting, I'm afraid." That only statement alone served to make an aura of seriousness that wasn't there before rise in the air. Peorth let her thoughts drift for a second, to the condition of the Goddess she left in the medical wing. Her heart seemed to shrink as she remembered the sighting of the fallen deity. Someone coughing in the room brought her attention back to the meeting, much to her dismay.

"I see no condition for a subtle approach, but I'll try to be as careful as possible, taking in consideration your proximity to her." Another god informed her, and although the comment was made to make her feel a little more at ease, it had the opposite effect on the Goddess of Roses.

"We had not forecast the Dark Period that is now installed, truth be told. You have us to blame for not having taken the correct procedures before all of this happened, but something has to be made now that Urd started to feel the first impacts." The way the sentence was spoken made Peorth feel revolted. She almost had forgotten the way the High Council treated Urd like she was a wild beast that needed to be watched and controlled.

"Ara, and what would those 'correct procedures' be?" She knew she shouldn't make the atmosphere even more hostile then what it seemed to be, but the comment seemed to just slip out of her mouth.

"That is irrelevant at the moment, since the scenario is no longer possible." The interrupted god showed no signs of being insulted by her comments, though she could tell he didn't approve of them, either.

"Our main concern now is to slow down the increase of her power. We've learned the amount of energy she'd displayed the previous night on Earth should not be available to her in such an early stage of the Change." Peorth listened to him carefully, knowing too well that unfortunately they didn't wished for Urd's well-being as they pretended to.

"Further restraining methods are being considered. We have to control the progress of the situation from now on." All of the Elders seemed pleased with the suggestion. The Lord himself remained quiet as he listened.

"That is not possible." Peorth declared, waiting to see if there was any adverse reaction from Him. When she got any, she continued.

"Her body cannot endure all the energy it possesses right now with all the current restraints. The second class status itself is a control technique and is already being pushed out of its limit. We're risking her health maintaining it and besides, if we don't remove it ourselves, she'll just overthrow it." The room fell silent for a moment, as everybody contemplated their options.

"So, you're saying that the imposed second class status has become a shackle too tight and you wish to loose it a little bit." The Elder on her left side analyzed, voicing out their thoughts.

"Yes. That imposition was exactly to bind her, not giving her any room to increase or trigger much of her powers. That same binding is putting her health at risk; therefore it has to be lifted."

"You're aware that if we give her some maneuvering space, others restraint methods would have to be applied?" 

"I am very aware of that, but it is not possible for us to keep her as a second class goddess anymore." Even though she didn't like what other options she may be presented with, Peorth knew that Urd's limits have been reached and something had to be done.

"If she's to be released of that particular lock then I recommend her immediate dispatch to the Combat Division." Someone in the room settled and Peorth felt her heart chill at the statement. She remembered too well the results of the same measure in a distant past. Something she didn't want to happen twice.

"I object. It has been tried before. Under the Combat Division care her powers will be too active and you know she won't ever be able to control them properly." She fervently demanded, not believing they actually had the guts to make such proposal.

"Peorth, you are allowed a say in this matter only because of your relation to Urd. But even though you speak in her name, not even Urd herself had the authority to refuse such things in normal times, nor will you now." The scolding voice almost slapped her in the face, remembering her that she didn't have the political influence she wished to have.

"The Combat Division is the only place where we can follow her progress and where she can try to learn how to be in command of her own powers. If she fails to do so, she'll be constrained accordingly." The one she had identified as Mathusaleus spoke, making her almost lose the little patient she had.

"You know damn well she can't control it. It is too much for one person to bear alone, and all the training in the world won't make it possible. If you stir up her powers too much, she'll just destroy herself." Peorth almost shouted, feeling that she was loosing the battle.

"You ask for her restrains to be lifted. We recognize some of them indeed are already prejudicial. But we can't just let her be free with the new power rising." Mathusaleus declared, rising his voice above hers. They confronted each other momentarily, until the Lord made His will known.

"It is still my daughter, the one you talk about, Mathusaleus, so please be careful." Although His voice was calm and composed, the Elder god felt a chill on his spine, just for being called attention.

"My apologies, Lord; I lost my composure. It won't happen again." The room fell silent after Mathusaleus' excuse. Everybody just waited for His decision, since it was pretty obvious there wasn't room for a reasonable dialogue anymore and also that the Lord wouldn't admit any more shouting at His table.

"I see no other option but to free Urd from the second class chains. As I also see no other option but to send her to the Combat Division care. Even if I don't, without any type of training from the Valkyries, her powers will grow in the same way and she won't have a chance to manage them. Even if we all know her chances are slim like this, at least she has a chance. From there on, it's Urd's responsibility." The Almighty declared, scanning the room for any sign of disapproval. The twelve Elders seemed thrilled with the outcome, even if they maintained their masks of indifference. Peorth herself couldn't even face her Father.

"So I say." Kami-sama spoke, ending the reunion. His last three words sounded like a judge's hammer to Peorth ears, giving someone a death verdict.

The irony of it all, she thought, was that he might have send his own daughter to her death, in fact…

And there was nothing she could do about it.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	11. Chapter 10

small note: HOW THE HELL DO I LEAVE MORE SPACE BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS HERE ON ARRGHHHhh...

OOOOOoooookkkkk

Finally, an update.

I deeply apologize for the delay ( you know I'm referring to you, don't you?)… but perhaps it was for the better.

Wanted to thank all the people who reviewed this fic so far and encouraged me in keep writing. My most profound thanks to **PEORTH-CHAN**, my crazy friend and nazy editor and the EvilSickCow, my original muse.

If you want more, you know… **REVIEW!**

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Well… enough.. I hope you all enjoy:

**_Maktub_**

**Chapter 10**

For the first time in many years it wasn't the sun rays that awoke Belldandy of her warm sleep. When the earliest beam of light invaded her room through open curtains her eyes were already opened as she lay peacefully next to Keiichi. Ever since she felt the gate through the dimensional space between Heaven and Earth being opened she couldn't rest her mind. She knew that somehow Peorth managed to leave for Heaven, taking Urd with her for treatment, but hours had passed since then and she was eager for some news.

Despite her anxiety, she was also aware that even if Peorth wanted to effectively contact her she couldn't, since Yggdrasil was still down. Looking at Keiichi she was half satisfied and half jealous that he could rest in a time like this. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, ne? So she half-wished she didn't know any of this was happening, and that in the very same instant she was thinking about, her sister could be breathing her last breath. Her thoughts eventually wandered to her other sister, who secluded herself in her room ever since the incident and refused to go out. It was possible that she too had felt the gate being opened, but she was still far too consumed in her own depression to actually put two and two together.

**«»«»«»«»«»«»«»**

The room didn't seem so…inhospitable for her now, for some reason. Looking around she could see that someone had the graciousness of putting some jars of different kinds of flowers around. Although the plants effectively gave the air the slightest floral scent, covering the smell of blood and death that lingered there before, it failed to give it a more colorful aspect, since most of the flowers were white or pearl. It was a nice touch, nonetheless, and she realized that she would have to thank someone for that later. With all the curtains opened, allowing the bright and warm light to invade the room and illuminate the single bed on where Urd was sleeping peacefully, she found it hard to picture the chaos scenario that had occurred so little time ago.

"I'm sorry Peorth-sama. We weren't expecting you." A voice from behind brought her back from her contemplative state. Peorth eyes encountered one of the blond doctors that were present the day she brought Urd in. She had a small smile on her lips as she looked inside the room though the glass door and confirmed that the silver haired goddess was laying quietly. The healing deity searched for a bip in her white coat that Peorth haven't even realized that was ringing annoyingly and turned it off, then proceeded to enter the room.

"Yggdrasil, request permission to enter, accompanied by Peorth, goddess first class, unlimited.

"**Acknowledged.** **Permission granted to Aerial, license nº 127000864. Doors now unlocked." **

The robotic voice of the living tree brought Peorth's attention to the identification tag hanging on the doctors' coat. She found it hard to believe that she had missed that so many times now and found herself a little ridiculous over having addressed the other divinity just as the _blond doctor _in her head until now. She quickly dismissed the thought of her head reasoning with herself that it was only normal for her to be distracted these days.

The golden haired goddess, totally unaware of Peorth's disregard towards her, spend a few moments reading the complex machinery that was placed besides Urd's bed. With a small frown she gently grabbed one of Urd's wrists and pulled up her own sleeve to look at her watch.

After a minute she finished her brief exam and lifted her head up, chuckling lightly when she noticed that Peorth had her eyes glued on Urd's figure ever since they stepped into the room.

"There are some tests I would like to run, but they can wait until later. I'll give you some time alone with her." The apparently younger goddess stated, putting her hands on her pockets and making her way to leave them. Peorth seemed confused for the briefest moment, until it all sank in into her dizzied brain. She repressed a smile, refusing to let show that she was caught on surprise.

"Aerial-san…?" She called, not turning back.

"Hai, Peorth-sama?"

"Thanks for the flowers." Peorth replied in a quiet, yet warm voice. She could feel the smile she managed to get out of the blond deity, who limited herself to leaving the room without further comments.

Peorth sighed to no one in particular as she started to approach her companion's bed. Picking up a single chair and placing it next to the bed, she adjusted her white dress before sitting quietly, with her own hands knotted between her knees.

Her eyes scanned Urd's body for any mark that could have been left behind from all the bruises, cuts and lashes that were inflicted on her. She found none, much to her delight, aside from the tight bandage that still surrounded the tanned goddess' torso. There was no feeling of guilt as she remembered her threats to the doctors in case they couldn't save Urd's life. But she had to admit they did one hell of an excellent job, taking into consideration the gravity of all of her wounds.

One of her hands eventually found its way onto Urd's cheek as she moved to sit on the bed. Some color and smoothness had returned to Urd's skin, giving her a much better look than the previous week, when she had seemed a shadow of her former self.

Peorth smiled nostalgically when her hand descended from her face to her arm and finally her hand, where she intertwined their fingers. The ever-present golden ring on her finger called her attention, reminding her yet again that there was supposed to be another one on the fingers that so well-knotted with hers.

**Flashback**

"You're going to take it off?" Peorth's voice whispered into Urd's ear as she embraced her lover from behind. Urd took her time to respond, as she gazed at the golden ring on her finger shinning brightly against the flames from the fire they made to warm them.

"Yes." She eventually replied, with her voice as small as Peorth's. She felt the embrace around her waist loosen up, but she was glad to know that the raven haired goddess was still there, despite all the things she might been imagining at the moment.

"I don't want to take the risk of taking it off myself, when I won't know what I'm doing." Urd explained, even though she never wanted to remove it herself. The only alternative wasn't better looking and the sheer consideration of it gave her the courage to go on.

"That's why…" She continued, pulling the golden object off her finger. Peorth observed it all with lifeless eyes as she rested her head on Urd's shoulder. For some moments both of them could perceive some inscriptions shining brightly on the ring surface, as if the simple fact of being removed from its owner's hand could bring it to life. Its light continued to shine until Urd's hand closed upon it, bringing an end to the small phenomenon.

"…I'll take it to some place where I can be sure it'll remain untouched until I can claim it once again." Urd stated, leaning back against Peorth, and allowed herself to enjoy the loving feeling the simple act brought to her. And there, in Peorth's arms, she was able to forget what she was about to face, even if it was for just one night.

**end** **flashback**

She didn't call out her name, nor made any other sound, or simply a movement, but when Peorth lifted her eyes from their linked hands, she knew she would find Urd's green eyes staring at her.

They might have spent all eternity looking at each other, as far as they were concerned, but none of them risked saying anything. Confusion, above all things, but also hope, apprehension, relief and recognition were clearly visible in those green orbits and Peorth knew she couldn't hide her emotions from Urd as well.

«How I've missed you.» She thought to herself, and without giving it much more thought, lowered her head down until their lips were almost touching. She stopped for a split second, waiting to see if there was any negation from Urd's part, and the fact that she found none pushed her forward.

Perhaps it wasn't the smartest move she could come up with at a time like this. True, she would only complicate things even more, but on that precise moment she just wanted to kiss her and make sure everything was alright. It was just a small, butterfly kiss, but it was more than enough to make her whole body shiver in fulfillment.

When she straightened herself again, Peorth couldn't suppress a smile as she looked at Urd's somewhat pleased, somewhat puzzled look.

"Take that as a welcome back notice, ok?" Peorth smiled some more as she removed a strand of hair from Urd's face.

"Do you always welcome people as warmly as this?" Urd asked, her voice even though still hoarse, was clearly teasing.

Peorth preferred not to take the bait and avoided the question by pressing a round button besides Urd's bed. A green light flashed on a panel a few times before fading out completely.

"How long?" Urd coaxed, noticing for the first time that her right hand was linked with Peorth's own. She didn't need to think twice before moving her free hand to touch the bandages on her own torso, finding that she was liking the feeling of their hands clasped together.

"Almost a week." Peorth replied, intrigued to see that even after Urd perceived that their fingers were linked, she didn't bother to remove it.

"My sisters?"

"They're alright."

"Mara?"

"…"

"Peorth?"

"We don't know." Peorth hated not knowing what was going on, but she couldn't lie to Urd and say that everything was alright. She couldn't decide if Urd was asking it out of concern for her former demoniac friend or hate about what she had done to them. Either way, she was a bit jealous, even if in her mind and heart she knew she shouldn't be.

"What happened to me?" Urd asked, but this time she couldn't look Peorth directly in the eyes.

"Urd…" Peorth started, not foreseeing this dialogue and thus, not knowing what to say in reply.

"There are many things we have to talk about…" she searched her mind for words, for a decent and fast excuse to change the subject, but to her despair, nothing came up.

Just when the silence between them was about to get uncomfortable, two doctors entered the room with charts and small medical devices on their hands. Peorth recognized none, but she thanked them within from saving her from further explanations.

"Peorth-sama. We're very sorry, but we need you to leave. There are some tests that must be run now that Her High--"

"I know." She interrupted him, casting him a scolding look. He took his time to understand it but Urd didn't follow, much to Peorth's relief.

"I shall see you as soon as possible, Urd." The brown-eyed goddess promised as she got up to leave the doctors to their job. Urd was left with a small impression of frostiness the instant Peorth's hand left hers and she accompanied her route to the outside of the room.

**«»«»«»«»«»«»«»**

"I wasn't expecting you." His deep voice, although authoritarian and daunting as ever, failed to intimidate Peorth.

She took a seat beside Him in the leather couch He was resting in.

"She's awoken." Peorth started, deciding to go directly to the matter, since her nerves weren't in the mood to be tested now. The Lord got up from His seat and took two steps forward. He just stood there, hands behind His back, head uncharacteristically lowered.

"Then you know what to do." He replied softly, even if He knew those were the coldest words His daughter could be hearing right now.

"When is she to be dispatched?" She inquired, feeling a pang in her heart. It was just too cruel for her to be responsible for Urd's dispatch, but she knew it was her place, and no- one else's to do so. But knowing so didn't help her in feeling better about anything.

"Immediately." He had caught her by surprise. She wasn't expecting the order to be carried with so much haste. There was still much she needed to discuss and explain to Urd.

"But Father, she's not completely recovered yet. Sending her to the Combat Division at this stage won't do her any goo--"

"I know. But there's no logical reason to let her fully recover. As her body strengthens, so do her powers, and sooner than you think she would lead herself to suicide." He turned around to face His Child and even if He had seen thousands, billion of people crying over the fate of their loved ones, His heart shattered when he saw the agonizing tears that His daughter seemed to cry unconsciously.

"She'll receive proper care under the Combat Division. You don't have to worry over that." He whispered to her as He kneeled to see her gloomy expression.

"I know." Peorth confirmed, repressing a sob. He sighed and went to hold her small hands between His larger ones.

"Then what is it, my Child?" He muttered calmly, offering Peorth some needed understanding. She bit her lip as she seemed to debate whether or not say what has been haunting her since the whole incident took place.

"What should I say to her, Father?" She finally questioned, not sure if the issue was directed to Him, or herself. The lack of response from the older entity didn't go unnoticed by Peorth who unwillingly lifted her head up to look at her Creator. There seemed to be something familiar passing through those grey eyes, but she couldn't put a finger on it, no matter how evocative it seemed to be.

"Say whatever your heart tells you to. I won't forbid you in your words, since I know it's already hard enough for you both like this." The Lord started, with such a loving voice that made Peorth captivated to His words like a child that is being explained the secrets of the world.

"But beware my daughter. May your freedom in speech not betray your feelings or do something even worse." She knew what He meant instantly. For the slightest moment she wished that He hadn't given her that much freedom, that He just had ordered her to keep her mouth shut about certain things or explained in detail what she was allowed to say. It was so much simpler blaming Him later…. Blame the one who orders you and whom you can't argue against.

The so longed freedom she had wished for so many times in her life was finally granted to her. And she cursed it now. Without rules to abide by she felt truly lost. So, as Peorth kissed her Father goodbye and left the room, knowing that He couldn't aid her in her task anymore, she knew that she was condemned to hurt Urd with her own uncertainty.

**«»«»«»«»«»«»«»**

Urd eyed the three doctors, one female and two males, with apprehensive eyes as they scanned her body. They all worked in silence, writing down whatever detail they could observe in their charts. The female blond doctor eyed her back, seeming to somehow sympathize with her, but Urd found the feeling totally out of place. She tried to read her name on the identification tag, but soon found that her eyes still couldn't focus enough for the task. Still, she was pretty sure she did not know her, or any of these people as a matter of fact, and she knew something was not quite right by heart.

For the first time after the fight she stopped to check on herself. She was sore all over, but the only wounds that truly troubled her were some surely broken ribs and the gash on her torso. Yet she felt strange. The air smelled weird, the lights seemed too bright for her eyes, the air seemed too noisy for her ears. She could feel her own blood hot inside her veins, but instead of feeling warm, she felt herself freezing on the spot. Her heart thumped in her ears, and the intensity of the sound made her feel dizzy. Sitting on the bed and looking down on herself she could smell the blood that the bandages covered, and it made her truly uncomfortable

"Please try to control your breathing ok?" A voiced called out to her, and she lifted her head too fast for her wellbeing. As she slumped on her bed she hardly felt the needle piercing her arm and the cold liquid mixing with her own blood. She wasn't even aware she was panting until the blond women called her attention, and it made her nervous.

«Just concentrate yourself on something. It'll pass in a minute.» Urd tried to reason with herself as her eyes searched for something, anything that could distract her mind. She finally decided to lock her gaze on the ID tag she had previously failed to read and didn't dare to look away until she felt the vertigo go away. As her breath slowed down to a regular rhythm so did all the other things that disturbed her returned to normal. The letters on ID tag finally became visible, the light seemed bearable now, the air smelled faintly of flowers and all she could hear was the constant beeping of some machines around her.

"Feeling better now?" Aerial asked her as she helped Urd sit on the bed again.

"Yes." The reply was weak, yet secure.

"What happened?" Urd questioned, removing the supportive hand from her shoulder and pulling her legs out of bed.

"Don't worry. It's only normal." The other deity answered, pretending not having noticed the distrustful attitude Urd had. She turned on her heels and grabbed some clothes lying near the flowers.

«That wasn't what I asked." Urd thought as she eyed the other two doctors who seemed occupied with reading the machines.

"If you're feeling better, you might consider taking a bath before wearing these." Some white clothing was placed beside her on the bed and Aerial and her companions lost no time in leaving after the comment.

«Just what the Hell is happening?" Urd thought to herself as they left, feeling at lost in her own House. Assuming that all would be properly explained later to her, she just grabbed the clothes and proceeded in taking a welcomed bath.

**«»«»«»«»«»«»«»**

Outside the Medical Wing, in a small green garden, Peorth waited for the final results of Urd's exams to be announced. Not that it mattered much, after all, whatever the verdict the doctors might give her, Urd's fate was already sealed.

She sat on a marble bench, already mossy and dirty from lack of use and placed the two heavy, golden bracelets she was carrying beside her. The world around her ceased to exist as she tried to use the little time left to put her thoughts and feelings into place.

**flashback**

"You're late." Peorth accused her with an upset look. Urd lifted her eyes from the floor to discover the other goddess leaning against a stone pillar. The sword she was holding or maybe dragging fell to the ground lousily as Urd sighed. She was about to start feeling concerned when Peorth's seriousness disappeared and her face brightened with a large smile. Urd felt her own lip curve into a smile as she raised her arms to her friend, who promptly ran to her.

"I've missed you." Peorth murmured in her ear, and Urd knew how much she felt the same thing towards the younger woman. They hugged in the grand Entrance of The Combat Division for some time, simply enjoying each other's warmth and presence.

"You might want to take her home and spend some time together, Peorth." Rind's voice called them from inside of the building from where Urd just left. The purple haired goddess stopped walking a few meters from them and bowed respectfully at Peorth.

"Rise Rind." Peorth pleaded softly, with one arm draped around Urd's waist and the other on her shoulder.

"I thought I said I didn't want you with that kind of attitude when we're alone." She scolded as Rind straightened herself and smiled at them.

"Gomen. I'll try to cut the habit." Rind answered as she lowered to grab the sword Urd dropped from the ground. She covered the metal surface with a white drape and turned to look at Urd with a reprimanding look on her face.

"And I thought I had warned you to put all the weaponry in place _before _you left." Rind growled, truly angry at the silver haired deity. Urd smiled innocently, removing herself from Peorth's embrace and stepping closer to Rind's upset figure.

"If you listened to me from time to time you wouldn't get yourself in so much trouble as you do right now.. plus.." Rind continued babbling what Urd considered pure nonsense in her head. Rind abruptly stopped talking when she looked at Urd looking her with the strangest look on her face.

"What?" Rind shouted, crossing her arms before her.

"Ssshh. Don't move!" Urd requested, moving slowly and carefully towards Rind, who was now very suspicious about the older goddess' intentions. She raised an eyebrow as Urd seemed to analyze something on the top of her head. Eventually impatience took the best out of her and she started to tap her feet on the ground.

"Yup. I wasn't wrong. Your first white hair. Congratulations Rind!" Urd cheered and patted Rind on the shoulder. Behind her Peorth burst into laughter, pointing one finger at Rind and holding her stomach with her other arm.

A vein popped into Rind's forehead as she turned red all over.

"You think that's funny?" She shouted at Peorth as she raised her hand and a powerful gush of wind sent the black haired deity flying at a nearby lagoon. It was Urd's turn to be punished now, since she couldn't repress herself from laughing loud at Rind's actions. They engaged in a vigorous fight, even though one could clearly tell that they meant no harm to each other.

"Oh my… You're a brute Rind. You have no sense of humor!" Peorth growled as she rose from the water, wet all over. "Please, someone save me from that monster!" She asked the heavens in a mocking tone, smiling as she looked at the fighting goddess.

"My princess, I'll save you from this monster!" Urd laughed some more as she took the control of the fight and effortlessly lifted Rind in the air and pressed her body against the stone wall. Holding her in place with one hand she called the sword, momentarily forgotten on the floor again, into her open palm. With a small smile on her lips she threw Rind up and stabbed the sword into the stone wall, effectively trapping the fighting duty on the wall by her clothes.

"God, you think you have control over everything on this world, don't you?" Rind accused her, trying to free herself.

"No… but I know I have control over you!" Urd teased, pointing at the sword stuck above Rind's head. Rind pouted and gave up the struggle.

"You wish. You don't even have control over yourself, not to mention someone who's your superior!" Rind provoked as she crossed her arms before her chest.

"You don't look that superior now, do you, Rind-sempai!" The purple haired goddess fumed at her pupil, who seemed to be relishing the opportunity to mock her.

"My great knight, move away from that horrid monster. It'll kill you with its deadly poison if you stick around too long!" Peorth exclaimed theatrically, trying to suppress another laughing fit.

Urd moved away from Rind and went to help Peorth out of the water, giving her a supportive hand as she tried to move her feet in the mud. Rind smiled mischievously as she watched the scene before her.

"You know, when I was a kid, my parents used to tell me some bed time stories. One of them was how a shining knight saved a princess from a wicked monster welding only a sword." Rind told them as their laughter eventually started to cease.

"Well, you have one fairy tale coming true." Urd laughed some more as she helped Peorth. Rind rolled her eyes as she continued.

"You know, in my fairy tales dreams, the knight would pick up the princess in his arms and carry her to safety!" She said in her softest tone of voice, watching as the laughter died from their lips, replaced by a puzzled smile. Urd eyed her questioningly, but didn't voice her thoughts.

"Well, you don't want to shatter my dreams, do you?" Rind asked as she put up a disappointed façade. Urd stopped in mid-air, and her puzzled smile was replaced by a teasing one. Getting down on the lagoon herself she lifted Peorth in her arms smoothly. Rind's smile spread a little bit.

"Happy now?" Urd inquired as Peorth giggled cutely and threw an arm around her neck for support. Urd turned her head to reprimand Peorth for be mocking her now, but all her playful intentions abandoned their minds as their eyes met furtively. Urd had to keep reminding her legs to move and get them out of the water all the time, since she felt completely captivated by her companion's deep stare on her.

"You know" Rind kept on, knowing she got the fish on the hook by then." In the fairy tales, the knight and the princess would kiss in the end." It took all her willpower to suppress a grin as she noticed how Urd stopped frozen in her tracks.

The silver haired goddess kept her stare on Peorth's eyes, which seemed to invite her down with unspoken words, until she couldn't take the pressure anymore and turned to glare at Rind. The fighting deity raised an eyebrow in defiance, but didn't recall the veiled challenge.

Urd's heart almost leaped out off her chest when she felt Peorth's free hand on her cheek, turning Urd's face to her again. Their eyes closed involuntary as Peorth pushed her head down and their lips touched briefly.

Urd was left stunned for a second, too shocked to move away or keep walking.

"Well… so much for self-control, huh?" Rind teased, lifting up one hand and pulling the sword from the wall. Urd stared at her with her mouth open as she retreated to the buildings' insides, whistling innocently.

**end** **flashback**

"Peorth-sama."

"Peorth-sama"

Little by little Peorth's attention was directed to the person calling out to her. She felt like a fish being hooked and then being taken from water. Her mind was so deeply absorbed in those ancient memories that it was almost difficult to return to the real world.

"The results of the latest exams." Aerial handed her some cream colored documents as she took the opportunity to take a step closer to the sitting goddess. Peorth' heart seemed to be strangled inside her chest as reality was shoved into her face again. She took the papers though, and took her time to open the file, but didn't read anything.

"Urd?" Peorth asked, skimming through the file, looking for nothing in particular.

"She's getting ready. Perhaps you would want to get prepared to meet her." The blond goddess had a look of compassion and understanding in her eyes that never failed to puzzle Peorth.

"Do we know each other? I mean…" Peorth questioned, deciding that asking wouldn't hurt. She searched for the right words, the right expression, and she half knew she was right when Aerial smiled fondly at her.

"Yes. Perhaps you don't remember, but I was one of Urd's personal doctors back when you were together."

The revelation didn't help in making the confusion go away. Instead, it just worsened things as Peorth found out that she didn't had any remembrance of having seeing or met the fair-haired before in her vast life.

"Strange. I think I would have remembered you if…" She trailed off as her thoughts and feelings chased after each other like cat and dog.

"It's ok if you don't. Even so, I think you shouldn't worry about it, at least for now." She was probably right. Since the moment they arrived Heaven Peorth became suspicious that something was not quite right. While Urd couldn't remember anything from the time they spent together, or the previous Dark Period, she, however, could. And it wasn't something that she would forget so easily, so it didn't make sense… any of it.

While still thinking she got up and squeezed Aerial's shoulder in a sign of gratitude as she walked off. There wasn't a reason to delay things anymore. She might as well have a whole month, even better, a whole year to get ready, and still it wouldn't make things any easier for either of them.

**«»«»«»«»«»«»«»**

It didn't take a goddess to know there was something very wrong going on. Urd knew this, of course, as she walked up a never ending stairway in the Combat Division's direction. During the little time she spent thinking about it, Urd found no logical reason for her to meet the Valkyries after just wakening up. Her mind was more preoccupied in knowing what exactly happened on Earth, in making sure if her sisters were alright, if the mortal was alright, and even if she didn't want to admit, if Mara was alright.

It didn't make any sense in her head. Why would her friend attack them like that? She had known the demoness for millennia's and she was pretty sure Mara wouldn't just go berserk on them like that, out of the blue. There had to be a motive behind it all. But what?

And then there was Peorth. As far as she could tell they were good friends, worked together for some time as Sys Admins., shared some tastes over this and that, but were never that close to each other. So why was Peorth the one who brought her to Heaven for treatment? Why not Belldandy? Why was Peorth appearing in her dreams every time she closed her eyes? Why had she been greeted the way she was when she woke up, just some moments ago? And above it all, why didn't it all felt as strange and out of place as it _should_ have been? Why did it feel… good?

Urd hadn't finished organizing her own thoughts when she reached the top of the stairs. It lead to a magnificent building, a little degraded by time perhaps, but still majestic to the view. She walked on the gravel pathway, passing through a green garden before she could reach the stone entrance. There was a small lake to her left, but removing that, it was all plain grass. It gave the place a feeling of loneliness and isolation that seemed to try intimidating her soul.

As she stepped on the first stone blocks and approached the entrance hall the first thing she noticed was a Valkyrie leaning on the far door at the end of the hall. The second was Peorth standing behind her, previously hidden behind one of the grand stone columns. Her eyes traveled from her friend's somewhat unsure gaze to the two bracelets she carried on her hands. Her pupils dilated as her mind went numb as she fixed her stare on the golden objects…

**Flashback**

"Guess who." A whisper on her ear. Two arms around her waist. A hot, soft body against her back. There wasn't any space for doubts as Peorth smiled and turned around to greet Urd with a passionate kiss.

It never lasted long enough, Peorth decided as the kiss ended. It took her a second or two to notice that people were staring at them. She blushed ten shades of red and turned her back to Urd again, trying to regain her pose. Urd looked around, trying to understand the situation, and flashed a dazzling smile as she hugged Peorth from behind. A cute blue eyed goddess had stopped frozen in her tracks to view the show of public affection and didn't notice Urd's teasing look on her.

"What? You want a kiss too? Or you just staring to see if you can learn something?" Urd asked out loud, making the other goddess blush even more than Peorth had. The poor soul promptly returned to do whatever she was doing before Urd arrived, as well as everybody present did.

"Don't tease them like that." Peorth pleaded, even though she was laughing to herself at the situation. Urd's reply was hugging her a little tighter and hiding her head in Peorth's neck. The raven haired goddess smiled at the contact and brought her hands up to hold Urd's wrists. The feeling of something metallic against the palm of her hands ruined the romantic moment.

"What are those? Another set of limiters?" Peorth sounded fed up as she asked the question, although she was pretty sure of what the answer would be. She knew Urd sensed her irritation as she sighed deeply before answering.

"Yes. They kinda forced these on me today." Her voice was muffled as she spoke with her face still buried in Peorth's neck.

"You should talk to Father about this." As soon as the words left her mouth Peorth mildly regretted them, since she knew nothing good would come out of it. Of course she knew. That and much more. It doesn't make things easier knowing the answers for all your most agonizing questions and problems. It just steals you hope and the capacity of dreaming.

A button started flashing in Peorth's terminal, making all kind of windows show up in various screens around them. Urd lifted one hand angrily and cast a simple spell to turn off the alarm. Peorth felt startled as her terminal suddenly crashed and the button exploded. The bracelet on Urd's wrist glowed orange, making some random letters visible on the ornamented surface.

"Sorry. I'm still not used to this." The platinum haired beauty apologized as she lowered her arm to embrace Peorth again. They soon found themselves being the center of the attention once again. This time it was an accusing look of Peorth's part that reminded other people of their places.

"It's not working, is it?"

"…"

"Is it, Urd?" The insistence wasn't habitual, and again, it was for an answer that didn't needed to be voiced. Peorth felt guilty, but kept silent, waiting.

"No, I don't think it is." There was sadness, but also some conformity in Urd's voice. Peorth wondered if Urd knew it wouldn't work since the beginning of all of it.

"It's simply not possible to control just one type of energy, hoping the other will subside to your will as well. Try to imagine you're riding a horse. A very powerful horse. An untamable one. You try to control it, but soon you find you can only control the left foot of the beast. The right side of its body has a will of its own. No matter how well you can control the left side of it, you won't ever have control over the entire animal. If the right side decides to go one way and you insist the left side you control goes the other, you're just going to tear the horse apart." The explanation left little space to doubts.

"I don't know how much longer I can stand it." It wasn't always that Urd asked for help. She wasn't insensible. She knew how much it hurt Peorth to not be able to help her when she needed. So she rarely said anything, but she wasn't made of steel…

"Look how far you've came. Look how much you've progressed. Have faith my love." The encouraging words, even if were filled with the most noble feelings, failed to cheer Urd.

"There is an option." Peorth finally blurted out, feeling the need, the obligation to take Urd out of her depression. Urd immediately unwrapped her arms and stepped back. Peorth turned around the face her hurt expression.

"How can you even consider that? I don't want to lose you." Urd murmured with her head cast down. Peorth stepped closer and had to lower her head to meet Urd's eyes.

"And I don't want to lose you either." She reasoned as she leaned in for a gentle kiss. It didn't matter if people were staring now. If Urd needed her, she would be there… she would always be there.

"Ek.." Urd started as they parted to breath.

"Ann thér." Peorth finished as their lips meet again.

**end** **flashback**

Peorth knew it almost instantly. The lost look on Urd's face as soon as she noticed the bracelets. She could almost touch her companion's fear and confusion with her own fingers.

«She's remembering. If it's possible, in anyway, it's all coming back to her.» The conclusion brought her attention to other things. If some things were being recalled, it was probable that Urd would make questions to which she wasn't prepared to answer.

She had to think of something, she knew she absolutely needed to evade certain matters, but her frenzied nerves didn't seem to cooperate.

"Peorth, what are you doing here?" Urd asked, seeming unsure of herself.

"I… I came…" The words she spoke didn't seem to mirror her thoughts. Peorth took a deep breath to calm herself as she leaned away from the column.

"I believe you have some questions for me." Peorth ended up saying, finding some courage to look Urd in the eyes. The confront was immediately avoided by the other divinity, who swiftly looked the other way.

"What exactly happened on Earth, Peorth? Why was I brought here before I could even see my sisters?" She didn't sound as calm as Peorth expected her to be, but she found no heart to accuse her of anything.

"You might want to sit with me, this might take a while." Peorth gestured to a large marble bench next to the wall as she walked to it. Urd declined her offer as she waited impatiently.

"Suit yourself." Peorth wondered if Urd had even the smallest idea of where this conversation could be leading them to. Or if she even imagined what would be happening after it.

"I won't bother explaining what a Dark Period is, because you probably know it." The simple sentence made half of Urd's questions vanish. She couldn't believe she hadn't perceived it before.

"Mara…" She found herself voicing the name, understanding all too well.

"Yes, that's why Mara attacked your sisters and even yourself. Old friend or not, Mara's still a demon, and something like that was bound to happen. That however, it's not mine, Father's and I bet not even Hild's main concern right now." Her mother's name helped in making her realize that this was something about her, and her only.

"The way you will be affected… the way you _are_ being affected by it all, concerns us." Peorth continued, seeming concentrated on finding the better words to explain herself. Urd felt like she was being explained a color meaning. You can tell what you see, but you can't explain it.

"When Mara bit you, she sped up the process. The demon poison running through your veins the last days proved to be a biological accelerator for your demon energy growth. That, together with the Dark Period influence, is stirring to life what Father thought he had sealed. And the more those powers grow, the more your divine essence fights it back."

"You mean…My dark half… it is… awakening?" Urd sounded incredulous. She had honestly believed her dark self was confined into her and that no outer force could touch it. She had been proved wrong. It seemed her little dark secret wasn't as well kept as she thought it was.

"It will fight for control over you. It will fight for control over your divine self." Peorth further explained, making sure she was being clear about it.

"You mean, in time I'll become a demon?" Urd questioned, suddenly very afraid of herself. Peorth moved her head to the sides though, easing her worries.

"No. Once you've tasted holy energy, it can't be sealed anymore. That was the only reason you were allowed to become a goddess in first place. Because you'd never tasted Hell's power before. So it could be sealed before it would be used. That seal, however, is broken whenever a Dark Period is installed." She made a pause here, and winced at her words, realizing the mistake she'd just made.

"So, it has happened before?" Urd half asked, half stated.

"By that time, you tried to gain control over the emerging power. It proved to be impossible, since no matter how much control you have over your goddess side, the other part won't come into submission. It is, however, the only way to slow down the process."

"Is that why I'm being sent to the Combat Division? I don't want more power Peorth. I already refused my First Class License some time ago." Urd tried to reason as she started to pace around.

"It's not your decision to make, and you can't refuse it either. At this time you don't understand what those awakening powers can do, but believe me, you will want to try to control them when you become aware of what they'll do to you and those around you." Somehow Peorth's words reminded Urd of a younger version of herself, in a room, a basement perhaps, surrounded by a handful of dead gods. Something clicked within her.

"Is that why I'm not allowed to see my sisters?" There was fear in her voice, as she started to make out just where this was leading them to.

"In a way, yes. Right now Heaven is like a shelter for you, and there's no way you can go down one level to the Earth realm, where you would be more exposed to Hell's energy." Peorth was pretty sure she would snap after being told she couldn't return the place she had been calling home, so when Urd stood there and did nothing but stare back at her, she was pretty much lost herself.

"Peorth… why did you kiss me before?" The question came unseen, catching Peorth completely off guard. She still formulated a justification or two in her mind, but none seemed convincing enough, so she said nothing.

"You were in love with me, by that time, weren't you?" Urd didn't seem repulsed by it, she seemed… seemed…

"As I was in love with you as well." She finished, waiting for a confirmation. Peorth looked up to meet her expectant gaze, and it took her a little time until she could muster enough courage to say the words.

"Yes." She finally admitted, much to Urd's shock. Before the Norn of the Past could come up with something, she suddenly realized she couldn't remember the day she met Peorth, or how they've met, how old was she, anything. As far as she could tell, one day she woke up.. and she was there. And it was natural.

«But it can't be natural.» Urd decided in her mind, as her thoughts raced from one memory to another.

"How come I couldn't remember these things until now?" She started again, and Peorth noticed that all wasn't lost yet. She didn't remember everything it seemed, and she wanted to be sure it would stay that way if possible. Some things are just better left alone, and she certainly wasn't going to be the one that would force her to remember.

"Nothing good will come out of it, believe me." Peorth evaded her question as she rose to her feet. Their eyes met again, and this time it was Peorth who was tempted to break the contact. She didn't though, and it proved to be a mistake she wished she hadn't made.

"You're still in love with me." Urd half whispered, not sure if she had been too straight or not. Peorth immediately broke the eye contact, leaving Urd to wonder if she had hit a nerve.

"No." The reply was almost too quiet. And for some reason, Urd felt something stir inside her chest.

"I'm in love with who you were. Not with who you are." Although the words made sense, Peorth seemed to make an effort to voice them. Almost like she was pushing herself into making or saying something she didn't want to.

"You're lying." Urd risked, noticing how Peorth would not look at her and kept her head down.

"First Class Goddess don't lie." The statement hurt her, in a way she couldn't put her finger on. She didn't had the time to think about it as Peorth approached her.

"You have to go now." Peorth said as she looked to the Valkyrie still waiting at the end of the hall. Urd understood something was about to happen as Peorth moved even closer to her and placed her hands over her shoulders. Only she realized too late what her companion's intentions were.

"Begin release procedure of first class magic." Peorth whispered in her ear, and the words sounded almost criminal at the time. Urd felt the first hit in her chest and grabbed onto Peorth for balance. As the pain assaulted her body from within she desperately searched for a way to restrain the powers from coming loose.

"Advance of Urd from Second Class Goddess to First Class Goddess is refused." Urd tried to stop the release process as she now almost fainted against Peorth's body.

"I deny it." If she didn't know what she was doing, Peorth would've felt something similar to betrayal. But she knew better and grabbed Urd by the arms as she kneeled her on the floor.

All the internal turmoil Urd felt after the fight with Mara came back on full force, and added to the strain that came with the release of first class magic made her totally loose control. Wind picked up around them and lightning fell from the skies and incinerated the earth. The stone below their feet started to crack and some columns began to shake, threatening to fall.

Peorth had to fight back the discharge of those powers to secure the two bracelets she carried around Urd's wrist. It all ended relatively rapid after. The ground stopped to shake, the thundering died and the wind subsided. The two golden bracelets shone bright orange for seconds, and once again Peorth could see those black runes visible on the surface.

Urd felt a little dizzy as she tried to lift her head up to look at Peorth. She hadn't even notice it was the other goddess who was preventing her from sink down on the floor.

"Drink this." Peorth ordered as she placed some vial on Urd's lips. The platinum haired goddess didn't find the strength to refuse or even swallow the liquid as she fought to remain awake.

"Urd." Peorth called as she inclined Urd's head back, forcing her into drinking it. She chocked some times but eventually managed to swallow. After that, she couldn't tell how long she stood there, leaning against Peorth chest as she waited for her heart beat return to its normal speed. Eventually she felt Peorth force her to stand, making her want to thrown up whatever she could have in her stomach.

"You're ok now. I'm going to see your sisters and tell them you're safe." Peorth whispered only to her ears as the Valkyrie started to approach them.

"Don't… leave me… again." Urd pleaded, and Peorth wondered if it was out of pain or something else.

"Don't worry. We'll meet again." She assured as she handed her almost limp body to the Valkyrie's care. She heard Urd saying something before the Fighting Goddess started to carry her to the inside of the building, but couldn't be sure. After they entered and the heavy wooden words closed behind them she turned on her heels, directed to Earth.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	12. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: well, first of all, to the evilsickcow… I'll finish this for you. One day… I guess… Just wish you'd at least say something… anything… To my dear friend Peo-chan who helped me editing and listening to my inconstant babbling… my most profound thanks… And to all the readers who waited all this long for an update, I'm sorry, I really am, but things don't always go our way.

That's one of the things I want to show with this fic. That life isn't always fair… that u can follow the rules by the book, but that won't guarantee u'll never suffer from injustices and disgraces. That sometimes good and fair people pay for mistakes that they never committed. And that some things are really, really irreversible…

And that reality alone can kill you sometimes…

Oh well… it's late… I'm babbling…

I am waiting for a lot of sweet, lovely, charming, dearing reviews… soooo….

REVIEW!

**MAKTUB**

**Chapter 11**

Wise men say time heals everything….

Some say remembering is not as easy as forgetting…

Then, how come? How come I didn't… How come I still… How come I never…?

Time heals because you have a tendency to forget about things with its passing…forget discussions and meaningless fights, forgive mistakes and attitudes and specifically, eradicate feelings that aren't reciprocated.

With time, the lover's passion will come to an end, the murderer's yearning to kill will subside, the craving of a special food will disappear, the addiction of a certain song will vanish, the desire to buy a red sports car or a big white house will go away…

All with time…

All in its own time…

……

Right…?

"How much longer then?" Peorth wondered to herself, as she walked towards the administrations building.

How much longer until I forget the touch of her skin, the softness of her lips, the sound of her voice, the smell of her perfume?

Had it not been long enough?

If forgetting was as easy as some might say, why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she just bring herself to lay her head on the pillow at the end of the day and simply not think about it?

Just what went wrong with her?

With them?

With disorganized thoughts and a tired figure, Peorth eventually reached her destination. A few words were exchanged between her and the acting Sysop, not much though, since nobody had the heart or courage to meddle into her problems, at least for the moment being.

And with little more than that she was being dispatched to the Earth realm again, but this time, so much unlike the last one, there were no worries of hastiness whatsoever on her mind. The little trip to the Mortal's plane could last near forever, and yet Peorth knew that still she wouldn't have time to arrange her thoughts to explain things to Urd's sisters.

«»«»«»«»«»«»

How many people would think that Hell was run by a Council, and that important decisions were debated and voted, very much like on Earth?

Mara chuckled at that particular thought.

Who would imagine that Heaven is ruled by the same ideal? Or that being a demon or a god is merely a job? Or even that reality was created and kept in order by a living computer?

"No wonder all lawyers go to Hell… They feel at home here…" She found her thoughts random and pointless again, as she observed the demon councillors with little attention. She couldn't quite understand why she was required to take place in such an important event as these meetings were considered to be, since she wasn't even part of the Board herself.

The possibility that it was being held to give her a condemnation about her late behavior surely crossed her mind, more than once in fact, but after pondering over it for some time, she came to the conclusion that Hild would prefer to state her punishment alone, not involving anyone else in matters regarding her own daughter. The last thing her proud queen needed was someone trying to advise her on how to punish individuals who hurt her offspring.

"My Queen…" Mara instantly jumped to her feet when a dozen of voices cut the quiet air around them like a butcher's knife slicing meat. As everyone else, she bowed her head respectfully, the feeling of anxiety at attending such a royal meeting finally closing into her. She decided to just mimic the other's actions, since she had no clue whatever on how to behave herself.

"Let's have a seat, all of us." Hild's composed, yet chilly voice left little to the imagination: The Daimakaichou was furious about something.

Mara sat herself again and relaxed slightly, deciding that Hild was too worried about others matters to actually pay attention to her lack of manners. Her seat was one opposite to the Ruler of Hell, but even if the two women sat facing each other, Hild eyes never searched hers.

Mara was somewhat relieved by it.

"I will not waste any time explaining what happened the past week on the Mortal's realm resulting from Mara's and the Norn's brawl. I wish to hear your final and conclusive opinions before the sunset of the current day, so please…" She gestured with one hand for them to begin as she lazily supported her chin on the other.

"The Council is not concerned about either goddess Belldandy or her younger sister. It is Urd that calls our attention." The late goddess name was pronounced with a little roughness on the demon's voice, a detail that was certainly not missed by anyone present, especially not by Hild.

"The Council thinks that this Urd shall be dealt with before representing a fatal threat to our kind and that no action can be taken here, in our realm." He bravely concluded, wearing a smug face.

"This… is going to be… ugly." Mara observed in her mind as she waited for a reply. Hild wisely choose not to take the bait, at least not just yet, and focused on some other point.

"The Council is…?" Hild started slowly, as if still thinking…

"The Council…" She repeated herself as her eyes narrowed towards the demon who just spoke.

"_If the dammed Council already decided everything before my arrival, what are we doing here in the first place!_" She shouted out, clearly ticked off, with electricity caressing her fingertips. There was a full minute of silence following, with Hild trying to restrain her urge to spill the arrogant demon's blood.

"My apologies, my Queen. Some of us are more… tense… about the circumstances than others." Another one spoke, clearly trying to amend the situation.

"I think Loki can speak for himself, Leviathan." She promptly replied, her eyes still shooting daggers at the overconfident vassal. When Loki made no mention of apologizing it was another demon's turn to try to calm things down.

"My Queen, if you would allow me…" He requested permission to talk, which was consented by Hild with a simple nod. All eyes turned at him.

"Going straight to the heart of the matter…" He started, passing over a sheet of paper that ended up on Hild's hand.

"Those were sent by Yggdrasil. The first graphic represents the peaks of power during the last Dark Age. The second graphic refers to the present being." Mara felt curiosity eating her veins as she tried, to no avail, to take a look at the document on Hild's hand. It was clear she was the only one in the room that didn't have access to the information.

Hild analyzed everything quietly as the demon continued.

"We fear that if she does succeed in controlling that new found energy, she might reclaim her throne here, in Muspelheim." He made a stop here, seeming at loss for words. Hild eyed him encouragingly, but he dared not to continue.

"Hild-sama. The Kingdom does not wish to be ruled by her. They will not accept a half god presiding over Hell!" The one called Leviathan finished the thought, with tension on his voice.

"Just what are you implying?" Hild asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're aware of our Queen's desire to bring Urd for training here on Hell, tutored by Mara, who sits here with us today. However, if we just let the gods do as they please, for now, it will all end up rather quickly. Furthermore, they won't have a chance to place responsibility upon us." He finished his sentence proudly, like an employee who presents his boss a revolutionary project.

"Urd is **MY** responsibility!" Hild stated, rather loudly, smacking her hand over the wooden table. There was no way a mother could enjoy hearing that. Hild, despite being the Devil herself, was no different on that matter. Her eyes flashed red for an instant, clearly showing her anger.

"Correct. She's your responsibility, not ours. The Kingdom will not tolerate to pay for your mistakes." Mara was not liking the direction things were going. This was clearly the closest thing to a riot she ever witnessed, that is, if such a thing could occur in Hell. She, like any other demon, was so habituated to seeing Hild's orders and wishes being carried without the slightest opposition that the particular scene seemed almost unreal to her. This, however, was not a topic that the others demons seemed to leave overlooked…

"Urd is in no way, shape, or form, a mistake. She _will _return to Hell, and she _will_ be given proper training by a demon. And I forbid each and _every_ one of you to present any possibility that jeopardizes her life!" The Daimakaichou banged her hand on the table again, effectively breaking it in half. There was a not so veiled threat of pain and agony to those who might want to oppose her now, only by judging by the determination in her posture.

"That is not your decision alone to make!" Perhaps the demon didn't notice the warning. Perhaps he really intended to challenge her authority. Or perhaps he even wasn't paying enough attention. The fact is that Hild lost no time or gave the situation a second thought as she grabbed a splinter from the broken table and threw it at an enormous speed at the unperturbed Loki.

"Know your place!" Her voice didn't trespass the anger she felt. She wasn't vacillating at all when she turned to all the remaining occupants with the same determination on her face. Loki blinked two times as he tried to understand just how she could have pierced his chest with a bit of wood, with such little effort as that. He never had the time to figure it out, Mara thought, as his head fell backwards and his eyes rolled over.

"I will _not_ kill my daughter, is that understood?" There. Her position was left clear. This was clearly not a debatable topic anymore.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

"And it's equipped with a brand new GPS system too, I thought it would come handy." Keiichi explained, showing his soon to be wife their new car. Even if he was nervous as hell to get it delivered, with the past happenings he pretty much completely forgot about his latest acquisition.

When the car's stand delivery man knocked on their door early that morning, he exchanged a worried look with Belldandy and hurried to see who it was, his heart accelerated in his chest, even if he didn't know who or what exactly he was expecting to see. Perhaps Mara, even though the fact that the demon wouldn't bother to actually knock on his door failed to make sense to him. Peorth would be a good guess too, finally bringing news from Heaven. He could even take a shot on Rind, serving as a messenger, or even Hild herself, demanding to know what happened to her daughter…..but again, he was pretty sure the Queen didn't need to ask them what really happened, and she wasn't one to come and check on Urd every time something bad happened to her….

On the Neverland part of his mind, where miracles where allowed to take place, he even pictured Urd standing on the doorway, wearing some strange Heavenly outfit, winking at him and telling she was sorry she couldn't call earlier to say she was ok, but would spend the night out.

Of course, after so much speculation, his first reaction when he spotted the delivery vehicle behind the man who was now smiling at him while making some random questions was, without a shadow of doubt, deception.

Anger came a little later, but he didn't let it show. Not while he could see Belldandy standing behind him, hands together on her chest as if in a prayer, looking at the same man with the same disappointed eyes. Taking his frustrations on someone who was just trying to do his job wouldn't help nobody, so he just took a deep breath and filled the forms he was asked to, and watched him go away.

Even so, despite his first impression, the new car could be used at least as a decoy to try take both the mortal and the goddess out of their depressive state. He tried his best, even putting a flashy smile as he showed her the interior of the vehicle, paying attention to every little detail, as if trying to convince himself to actually pay attention to what he was doing, and not what he was trying to actually do.

But he noticed, of course, as anyone would, that the smile Belldandy showed him was as artificial as his, and that even if she nodded all the time, as if understanding what she was being explained, her mind was far from there.

He couldn't blame her, he finally decided. And once again, he felt like the useless and normal human being he was just supposed to be.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Peorth landed soundlessly, taking a second or two to actually perceive where exactly she was sent to. A male voice caught her attention, and she easily spotted the red SUV parked just a few meters from the doorway. While the young man was evidently distracted, with half of his body inside the car and pointing to some buttons on the console, Belldandy, on the other hand, turned her head at her general direction the very same instant she arrived.

"If you press this button, the LCD screen will open. Isn't it great Belldandy?" Keiichi continued, and the lack of response obviously alerted him. Stealing a glimpse of his fiancé from over his shoulder he became aware that indeed her attention was directed somewhere else. He was about to ask whatever was wrong with her when her lips parted, and although no sound came off, he could clearly read the words that were lost to the wind.

His head came up so fast he almost hit the ceiling, and for a split second he wondered if the sight of Peorth standing beside them wasn't just a trick of his imagination, something his own mind created out of anxiety.

"This is it…" The newly arrived goddess uttered to herself as she took the first step towards the surprised pair. Their expectant looks upon her contributed to make her even more nervous about the upcoming conversation, since she could almost touch their worries and questions, with all the mighty they were being radiated from them.

Should she smile? Should she greet them? Should she just go and hug Belldandy?

"No." Peorth ended up deciding. She couldn't smile, since she couldn't bring her lips to lie with such easiness, she couldn't speak a friendly word even if forced, couldn't just go and comfort anyone. Her darkened and depressed soul only had enough sparkle to fulfil the mission she primarily had, and little else.

So, when in doubt, Peorth did the only thing she found her own heart could do without being pushed. She just entered the house, straight for the living room, and even if she never looked back, she knew those two followed her like a moth to a flame.

Upon her arrival, she barely noticed that Megumi was sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking rather than actually watching some random novel on tv. The black haired female human immediately jumped to her feet when Peorth entered, followed closely by her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. She watched passively as they all soon sat on the very same fashion she was earlier.

With a flick from her finger Belldandy shut the tv out, bringing some needed silence to the room. She noticed Megumi watching her, as if asking for permission to stay. A nod was all it takes to have the younger girl sitting beside them, and now all she could do was wait.

The two present goddesses locked their gazes, and not for the first time in a short time, Peorth was the first to avert her look to the floor. Even if the elder goddess's didn't want to start to conversation herself, she sensed Belldandy had already beaten her in this game of patience even before it started.

"She's alive." She breathed out, deciding that this was the main concern on everybody's heads at the moment. She soon found her guess correct, as three relieved sighs were added in unison.

Done with the main question, she tried to settle on where to start now, and was mildly thankful that she was given the needed time to gather her thoughts.

Even if all she was about to say didn't make her feel ashamed in any mean, shape or situation, Peorth couldn't bring her eyes to the level of the others as she started what she considered to be one of the most strained speeches of her life.

"Two millennia ago, when you sister was still the crowned princess of Heaven and Hell, something happened." She started, with emotion lacking in her voice.

"My sister was the princess?" There was no surprise of jealous in the air as Belldandy voiced her first question, only confusion.

"She _is _their first-born, you know, whether you and I and everyone else like it or not."

"Do not mock me, Peorth. I am well aware of Urd's lineage; it's just that she never told me she was in fact crowned at some point. And I never heard that anywhere else!" Belldandy explained, not liking the ironic tone she was addressed with.

"There are many issues in which you lie in the dark Belldandy, so, for the time being, just listen." It was not everyday that God's perfect daughter was asked for patience, but that day, as the ones that would come from there on, was no ordinary day. The blue eyed goddess bit back whatever surge of pride she might had come up with and resumed her listening.

"At her early adulthood, she was a very different person from the one you all know today. Even if she knew at birth that she was to inherit both the Kingdom of Heaven and Hell from our Father and her Mother, Urd was a very fair and charming person."

At this point, two pair of lips lifted up for two different reasons. No one noticed.

"I'm not saying she was perfect, but for someone who carried a burden like that, she was the closest thing to perfection you could get."

Keiichi felt slightly disoriented by the last comment. Even if he admitted Urd had a great personality and an even greater figure to go along, he never dreamt someone, not to mention a god, would actually classify her as a perfect being. His thoughts, of course, were not missed by Peorth.

"When I mention perfection, K-boy, I'm not referring to what you humans see as an Utopia. Urd was never like Belldandy, who never lied, never cheated, never hurt someone, never killed anyone. On the contraire, cher, She got angered, she sent people to their own deaths, she laughed at dinner jokes, she cried, she was afraid… she felt."

Her eyes met Belldandy, who looked at her with perception finally hitting her.

"And that's why she was accepted as the next to both thrones. Because she made mistakes, because she was afraid, because she was the closest thing to a human being that either Heaven or Hell ever created. With both the fruit of Wisdom from the Humans and the fruit of Life from the Angels, there was no one else who they could choose."

Peorth's eyes hit the ground again, but no one was in shape to actually pay attention to those details. The silence encouraged her to continue.

"Two millennia ago, I fell in love with that princess." Her voice faltered. This time they noticed.

"Two millennia ago, I married that very same princess." She wondered when the last time she mentioned her marriage to anyone was. She wondered how many of them were still alive to tell the story…

"You _married_ Urd?" Keiichi was the one to actually voice everyone's disbelief. Peorth never answered, but they all knew by heart when she lifted one pair of teary eyes at them. As if waking up from a deep slumber, the golden ring shone magically, bringing everyone's attention to it. Things finally started to make sense on everyone's heads.

"I was married to the most beautiful and powerful goddess in Heaven, and in a certain way, I still am." Peorth concluded, with the first tear finally hitting her clenched fists. Realization hit Belldandy as she interpreted her companion's pain.

"Peorth…Urd doesn't know. Does she?" The question confused two mortal heads, but Belldandy knew she had hit a nerve. Peorth repressed a sob as she shook her head, confirming Belldandy's question. They remained quiet, allowing Peorth time to compose herself, and continue with her explanation.

"The power entrusted to her was, is, too large. When the first Dark Age came, we tried to control it, sending her to the Combat Division, where she would have proper training. While it was true she progressed, the measure proved itself insufficient."

A pause. Peorth didn't made mention to proceed.

"What happened then Peorth?"

Still nothing. Bu at least this time they didn't pushed her any far. The answer came a little later, when Belldandy was beginning to suspect the conversation had ended.

"The pressure was too much. Urd ended up deciding to be confined to a neutral dimension between the two realms. A blank space, missing any good or evil. A room of nothingness, where everything ends up lost to that very same emptiness."

"That's what happened back then. Urd stayed in that room for the next centuries, until all of her remaining and overbuilt powers came to a rest. And with the disappearance of those powers, that Urd, or what made her who she was, were lost with it. When she came out of that blankness, even her soul was cleaned away, as she had suffered a master reset."

«Talk about being ironic… the Goddess of the Past herself can't even remember she was married!» Keiichi thought to himself, and the sarcasm of the whole situation failed to amuse him. Peorth eyed him warningly, but did nothing else.

"A pact was made. No one was to ever mention a word about that period of time. To make sure the pact was carried, Father himself erased that knowledge from all deities in Heaven. Those who refused the decision were executed or banished. The same happened on Hell. So now, only a handful of people actually know what happened."

"She is to remember though, as those powers stir to life once again. Some demons await the same destiny, as they are being greatly influenced right now." Peorth concluded her line of thought as everybody just stared at her, trying to process the amount the information they were given. Megumi was by far the most puzzled, one arched eyebrow clearly illustrating that condition.

"Ano… I know this may sound off place, but I can't help it." The female mortal started as she scratched her nose. Peorth found herself mildly smiling at her uneasiness, and nodded at her approvingly. Despite everything, she found herself truly fond of the mortal girl.

"You mention God as your Father." She stated, hoping that it would be enough to make her point of view clear. Three pair of confused eyes proved her wrong.

"Yes. What's so confusing about that?" It was Belldandy turn to answer, half bemused herself, half curious to see where Megumi intended to get.

"I mean… putting the whole idea of marrying someone of the same sex aside, marrying your own sister… isn't that pushing things a little too far?" She smiled a yellow smile as she explained herself, again scratching her nose in a hint of edginess.

There were some full seconds of silence before someone actually decided on reacting. Keiichi had a nosebleed and excused himself quickly, muttering something about his sister and her stupid theories on the way to the bathroom. Belldandy fell in a fit of giggles that seemed totally off place, but fitting at the same way, while Peorth simply rolled her eyes and counted to ten. In ten different languages.

"I believe you are misunderstanding, Megumi." Peorth began, and her tone was somewhat stressed already. Megumi sweat dropped.

"While the three Norn's are the Almighty's biological daughters, I, on the other hand, and all the other gods and goddess in Heaven, were created by his Will alone, not involving anyone else. Therefore, I cannot be accused of what you humans call…" She paused here, looking for the proper term.

"Incest." Keiichi concluded, entering the room again and assuming his former position next to Belldandy. He held a tissue of white paper against his nose, but aside from that and the deep blush that covered his face, he was perfectly restored.

Peorth thanked him with a shift of her hand and turned to Megumi, asking without words if her curiosity was satiated. A blush and a nod was her answer, and she didn't ask for anything else.

"Peorth, if you don't mind, what's happening right now up there?" The only male present inquired, ending the somewhat embarrassing situation and returning to the serious matters at hand. Peorth's eyes dropped again as the same dead silence from the beginning returned.

"She was sent to the Combat Division minutes before my arrival on Earth. Since the time-dimension space there is different from ours, she must be there for about 3 days already."

"How _could_ you?"

……

Silence.

Both humans exchanged worried looks as they eyed both goddesses eyeing each other. Belldandy's last remark was filled with indignation, making the other goddess feel confronted.

"You sent her there again, knowing the prior results of such act! Urd hates fighting, there's no way she would have gone there willingly!"

"You think I don't know that? You think it was my choice alone to make?" There was pain in her voice, pain mixed with anger… Not towards the angered sister, but the situation they were in… the unfairness of it all.

Belldandy rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear to whatever the other goddess wanted to say or explain. She just got to her feet and turned her back on them, crossing her arms around herself as if in a hug.

"I was aware of everything Belldandy! I was the one who released the First Class Category Seal, I was the one who sent her off, I was the one who delivered her unresponsive body to the Valkyries!" Peorth tried to reason, tried to put her feelings and despair into words. But words alone could not persuade neither that day.

"She is my sister!" Belldandy retorted, turning around in one angry movement which was way out of place for someone as temperate as her.

"She was already my wife before she became your sister!" The logic was there, Belldandy knew it. She knew it even before Peorth voiced it out and shoved it on her face like a slap, but not even the realization that she could be acting unjustly with her sister's apparently wife made her head clear up. She just had to place responsibility upon someone. It was just so much painful if it was any other way.

"If you wanted Urd as your responsibility so badly, why didn't you return to her before?" The angry tone didn't subsided, and that was the nearest thing to an actual scream that everyone on that room ever heard from Belldandy.

"Because the world is not the pretty and romantic place you wish it to be Belldandy! Because I can't return to a person who doesn't remember me!" Peorth was clearly ticked off by now, not being able to be so restrained in her words and affirmations. She was just damn tired of being the bearer of bad news and punch bag for things she couldn't change.

"But she will!" At this time it was most like the brown haired goddess was trying to just be petty and stubborn about the whole thing than actually trying to get Peorth to see something only she could think possible.

Peorth sighed out loudly and rested her head on her knees, calling for a one second break to breathe in deeply. Belldandy finally felt the first pang of guilty cross her being as she realized how unpleasant she was being and resumed her sitting position. It didn't take too much after that before the dark haired goddess of Roses lifted her eyes to her and resumed their so called conversation. Momentarily forgotten, the two present mortals could only stare at them and listen quietly.

"You may remember that one day you fell and hurt your knee. You may remember everything in detail, you may even remember how much it hurt, but no matter how well you do it, you can't feel the actual pain again." The way Peorth explained things, like an adult talking to an infant, angered the blue eye goddess in a way she couldn't describe. She felt… immature… unable to follow her companion's thoughts… and that made her utterly annoyed.

"Not all love stories end well Belldandy. Sometimes bad things happen, and no matter how much power or will you have to make things right again, they don't. Don't be so naïve." The last sentence took the younger goddess to the ropes again, and she didn't bother in hiding it as she jumped to her feet once again and started pacing around. Peorth felt the remaining piece of patience left in her start to vanish.

"Do you think your own marriage will last forever? The mortal you want by your side will eventually age and die…where's your happy ending there?" Her voice was elevated a note or two, which only added more fuel to the fire.

"At least I have the courage to risk it. You're terrified of hurting yourself once more, that's why you don't take a shot again." Belldandy countered, not worrying to actually aim where she was hitting before she spoke the arrow-like words.

"Yes, of course I'm scared!" Peorth screamed out aloud as she too jumped to her feet, effectively silencing Belldandy for once and shocking the two mortals.

"I'm scared of facing the very same demon that's been haunting me for the past centuries, yes, but not you nor can anyone else condemn me for it. Only I know what it was like to endure everything alone!" Perhaps it was the mix of anger and seriousness in her voice. Perhaps it was her aggressive posture and attitude that scared them. She wouldn't know what it was, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that Belldandy finally looked at her with the eyes of someone who admitted she lost the battle… and that there was no winner at the end. Nor she, nor Belldandy, nor anyone else. No matter who might been more right about things, that still wouldn't change anything.

"We're different, you and me. And the main difference is that I fell in love with someone who doesn't love me back anymore." Belldandy turned her back on her, but this time, it was out of shame. Keiichi and Megumi lowered their heads, knowing full well that their limited insight could not help either. With that comment still lingering in the air, Peorth left them to their broodings and got out, heading for god knows where. She just knew she needed to be alone.

«»«»«»«»«»«»

Peorth sat alone in the temple rooftop, hugging her legs and resting her head on one knee. The recent conversation, as she had expected, had completely wear her off, and she wished nothing more than close her eyes and simply sleep.

Her mind, of course, begged to differ from her body.

«»«»«»flashback«»»«»«»

Things where not exactly the same again. After that kiss on the rose garden, things were just so… different.

She didn't know how she should think of Urd anymore. What she could expected of her… of them. She was just so damn… confused.

The book she was holding didn't offer her the desired escape of reality she was hoping to get, but she forced herself to read the lines written with black ink on yellow paper.

"Didn't know you were the reading type." Her heart wanted to jump off her chest when that particular voice reached her ears. Well, _some things at least haven't changed at all_, Peorth thought, as Urd voice alone could still make her knees tremble.

"What's the story behind the book?" Urd asked playfully, knowing full well that Peorth was as distracted as a god could be. Peorth was aware of that too, having noticed the mirth dancing in her eyes.

"Actually, I can't bring myself to pay attention to it, so don't ask." The younger goddess decided to be frank instead of entering the never-ending game of provocation Urd wanted to start. Of course, the white haired goddess had another plans already.

"Ara." Urd raised an eyebrow and approached the couch where Peorth was lying onto with feather like steps.

"Now I'm confused. Should I not ask you about the story again, or should I not ask about why you can't pay attention to the story itself?" She inquired, trying to hold back a grin she knew was already forming on her lips. Peorth giggled at that, and threw the book away in one carefree movement.

"Both." She answered, still giggling and smiling contently. Urd laughed at her reply and finally got near enough to sit next to Peorth, with her hands supporting herself on both sides of the black haired goddess upper body.

Their eyes locked for the nth time, but to them, it seemed like the first again. That moment of deafening silence returned once again, that moment where speech disappears into silence…

"Know what? I bet that I can kiss you without touching your lips." That was an odd thing to say in a moment like that, but when Urd spoke the words in such a low and sultry tone, Peorth had to smile broadly and question her how was that possible.

She never decided if that was a mistake or not, but in the end, she never gave that thought a second look. Urd bent down ever so slowly, enjoying every reaction she could get from the women lying under her.

Everything from her dazed eyes to her slow breathing made her heart explode with a feeling of happiness that she never experienced before in her already long life. She wanted to show Peorth that she was as captivated as herself, that she too, was a willingly prisoner of their emotions, and not just a gambler.

So she kissed her.

As softly, gently and lovingly as a person could.

If there was any doubts in Peorth's mind before, they were all washed away with that one kiss, that felt more chaste and pure that every one of the many she would still experience. When they parted, they both opened their eyes, not even realizing they had shut them in first place. A childish, comfortable smile adorned both their features.

"Well… Guess I lost." Urd murmured quietly, catching Peorth totally off guard with the commentary. The brown eyed goddess giggled happily as she rested one hand behind Urd's neck and pulled her down again.

That day… at that time… she could affirm without a shadow of doubt…

She was happy.

«»«»«»end flashback«»«»«»

"Never again." Peorth murmured to the stars, for not even the moon dared to show its face upon so much sadness and despair.

The kiss still burned on her mind… still tasted on her lips… still weighted on her heart…

It was all almost too much…

"_Never again_."

TO BE CONTINUED

p.s: HOW THE HELL DO I LEAVE MORE SPACE BETWEEN PARAGHAPHS HEEERRREEE? DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL! ARRRHGHHH...

sorry... i needed that...

--


	13. Chapter 12

_--Nothing new to add… this is the beta version… haven't read it myself, but I trust Peo-chan's work ;) Noticed the lack of reviews… hope someone tells me if something wrong..--_

OMG!! I CAN'T BELIEVE!

Yup, I've finally updated this dammed thing!! After noticing it has been over a year since the last update, I finally kicked myself in the ass and got to work. The end for this is already written, and by my accounts, it should take another 3 chapters to wrap things up. I guess…. Blame my crazy life for the long wait. That, and blame WoW too.

I swear that dammed game is my doom. And I only have a lvl 49 NE Warrior… Just wait until I create alt's…..

Waiting for some sweet, lovely reviews. Next, I'll try to update my My-Otome fiction… C u there!!

**MAKTUB**

**CHAPTER 12**

Thirsty…

She was so damn thirsty…

«It's been what… days?»

She tried to come up with an answer for herself, but after a brief moment, decided that the effort was fruitless. She'd lost track of time a long time ago, long before she reached the scorching desert she was trying to cross now…

«But still… days… for certain…» She concluded as she lifted her eyes from her torn leather sandals to the alluring twin suns in the sky… One of them was setting, while the other was rising, making night a distant dream.

The air twisted before her eyes, and if she looked for too long, the sand would seem like it was moving. There wasn't a single soul, a single glimpse of life, be it plant of animal, that could survive in that environment.

She licked her lips for the hundredth time, but even her tongue was dry and would only leave a burning sensation on the cracked skin.

«Half of my kingdom for a butter lipstick, right now…» She whispered in her mind, bringing her fingers to touch her bloodied lips.

She certainly didn't expect that a Valkyrie's training would be anything similar to _this_. On second thought, she doubted that _any_ Valkyrie had to go through all that. There was a nagging feeling inside her that whispered in her heart that this treatment was especially for her.

«Walk.. walk.. one foot after another… just keep going like this.» She repeated the mantra in her head, over and over again, trying to shut out any other thought from her mind.

She was successful for a few more moments, before her sluggish walking made her trip over a rock and fall over. She didn't even have the energy to bring her arms forward to ease the fall, and ended up face first in the ground. Her mind took a while to register what exactly happened, and why she was standing up a second ago, and was now lying down. And so, she took her time to get up from the burning sand, despite the uncomfortable feeling.

«It takes someone with extremely bad luck to trip on the ONLY rock in the freaking desert» She finally cursed in her mind as she spit the sand in her mouth and glared irritably at the accused rock.

Her legs were tired, her arms were sore, her mouth was dry, her skin was starting to peel in some places and she didn't even want to think of how much her feet hurt. And to add more fuel to the fire, the two bracelets on her wrists were hot enough to burn the skin beneath it. She tried to heal the tissue every now and them, but even a simple healing spell was complicated to do at the moment.

The first time she tried it, she ended up creating a desert storm that lasted for at least 3 days. The second time she effectively healed some of the skin, but ended up bringing a thunderstorm that seemed to have her, and _only_ her as a target…

Besides, she knew she had to keep her power usage to a minimum, because she was still thanking whatever deity that could hear her for the last two escapes. She was being hunted, she knew that for sure… and even with miles and miles separating her from the pursuing Valkyries, there was no way she could miss the killing aura most of them emitted.

«Well, not _all_ of them» Her mind remembered, and she sighed forlornly. Not for her pity sake self, but for Lind, whom she had sensed, was being forced to do something she did not agree with.

But Urd didn't blame her. She could never.

«_The end justifies the means, ne_?» She chuckled at her own thoughts, the irony of it all hitting her like a hammer. With an avalanche of memories coming back to her every passing day and night, she knew how much they were alike. How she had done worst in the past… so much worst. And not only once or twice.

She wondered what the purpose of this part of her training was. Force her to survive without using her powers? Or forcing her to use her powers, even if she didn't want to use them in the first place, in order to survive?

«I'm just so damm tired….»

The answer, she decided, couldn't… _wouldn't_… wait any longer.

The demonic goddess knew she wouldn't last much longer if she tried to keep up like this. It was either risking getting herself killed while trying to use her powers, or die refraining from doing so.

She took her time to calm her brain, trying to convince herself that it would work this time. As clumsy as she could have been in the past, there was still enough confidence, enough self-respect for her capacities to do at least _one_ decent spell.

«I am who I am… And if there was thing I never was, was a scared cat hiding underneath the table… I _can_ do this...»

Slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, she lifted both arms to the sky. Through squinted eyes she could perceive the bracelets start to glow orange, as they would every time she tried to access her own powers.

«I am Urd… Doesn't matter the goddess ranking.. I _can_ do this!!»

The ornaments would shine brighter and brighter, as if threatening her, in case she considered taking things further. Still, Urd didn't back down. She didn't try to overthrow the power of the bracelets either. With trained composure, the struggling goddess was finally able to bring down her arms in one furious gesture.

Words weren't needed. Nature understood her.

She was left panting, in the middle of the desert, half afraid of the agonizing sensation that cursed her body every time the curios tried to confine her.

But it never came.

Not the pain she was expecting, and not the rain she had called forth.

«What?»

Looking up with a shift movement of her head, her eyes doubled in size as she contemplated the clouds gathered up in the sky, the rain falling dreamily towards her, only to be evaporated before it could reach land. _Before_ it could cool down her body. _Before_ it could quell her thirst.

The contemplation that even when she succeeded, she would still somehow fail, be it her fault or not, made Urd lose whatever was left of her good sense.

«I'm tired of all this!!» She screamed in her mind, the words burning her insides…

"I'm.." She started, this time aloud, her voice dangerously close to cracking.

"…just…" Frustration came pouring on her soul, followed by swift anger, and finally despair.

"…so…" Spinning around, she found the only thing in the abyssal sands that she could actually hit to vent her disappointment.

"…Tired…!!" She finally snapped, with hot tears burning her eyes and leaving blazing trails on her cheeks. With blind rage, she hit the bracelets over and over again on the stone she had previously tripped over.

"Why this? Why?! WHY DAMMIT?!" She screamed to no one in particular, with uselessness tight grasp smashing her heart apart. The bracelets would hit the stone with increasing strength each time, with orange sparks flying everywhere every time they would come in contact with the hard surface.

There was a mixed feeling of greatness and humiliation swirling around the sea of emotions she was experiencing right now. She half knew the magnitude of her powers, of her position, of the things trusted upon her, and the fact that even now she could not live up to them, up to those expectations, good and bad, made her feel like she wasn't worth of them.

« There must be a mistake… It shouldn't be me...I'm not worth it…" A part of her being whispered, leaving a trail of poison in its path.

«No, I'm as good and strong as anyone else… If not me, who else?» Another part countered, bringing her out of her drunk like state.

Her thoughts continued chasing each other, and she felt like two parts of her soul were biting and scratching and pulling each other inside herself.

"Why don't you just SHUT UP?!" With a final hit the stone beneath the bracelets cracked, and she couldn't tell if she was a god or a demon anymore. She couldn't tell where she stood in the middle of all it. And it was clear she hadn't decided it herself when she turned around and fired a bolt so powerful that made her sight fail her for more than a few seconds.

There was no sound after that, no light, no nothing.

It was like someone had just pressed the pause button on the movie that was reality, and she was left there, panting heavily and with difficulty for the second time that day.

«Was it a god that made this arm move?»

«Was it a devil that fired this bolt?»

Who? Which?

The questions still weighted on her when she started to perceive something golden shining directly in front of her. In fact, two somethings shone rather brightly and strongly, and she then started to feel a very familiar pain beginning to grasp her celestial body. But instead of the frequent fear that came with that, she was feeling a very awkward peace in her soul.

Above her, there was a spectacle of light as the once searing sun exploded in the sky. Night came welcomed, as well as the rain that could finally hit the ground.

At least, she cherished, there was enough time to lick the raindrops from her lips and ease some of her thirst before the bracelets made their magic and she fell with no resistance at all to the now wet sand.

Thousands of miles from there, five pairs of piercing eyes turned their attention to the scene above their very heads.

Lind could feel the anxiety of the group rising up as they all stared up. Even hers, although she never let it show in her tone as she voiced what was on everybody's mind.

"We've found her."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was a coincidence that Hild was present the moment it all happened, or she wouldn't believe it if she was told.

It was a festive day at Niflheim, the celebration of a long distant war, which few could even remember. Nevertheless, never mind the reason, no demon ever passed up the chance to party and get drunk. They were currently holding traditional games, the present being female mud fight.

The demon Queen always enjoyed the show, and despite having her mind somewhere else, she attended to it.

It was all there… the music, the fun, the dancing, the joy of her subordinates, but it all failed to reach her. Just when she was deciding to leave though, _it_ happened.

Firstly, to one of the girls wrestling on the mud pit, just below her throne. Secondly, to a random bystander on the crowd. And thirdly to one of her very own personal guards, just beside her.

They all fell to the ground, as if life had just simply been taken away from them with the strength of a blow. The audience went silent.

Hild could feel, could _see_ their very souls leaving their bodies the moment they hit the ground.

She went silent as well… Silent and cold as a winter night.

Eventually one pair of eyes turned to her… then two… then all of them. The fear creeping behind those orbs clearly told Hild that they all reached the conclusion that she was the one behind it. It was the only plausible explanation that they could come up at the moment.

It wasn't, after all, the first time that she had knocked people out like that, out of the blue, just to prove her egoistical depreciation over something.

But she was the Queen of Hell after all, and like a Queen, she never, for a single moment considered explaining herself to the lower classes. With her customary royalty she descended from her throne, down to the mud pit below. The brown dirt made way for her as she proceeded, as if the substance knew that Hild wasn't someone that it was supposed to stain.

She kneeled beside the once wrestling girl, feeling her pulse with two icy fingers. She already knew the answer beforehand, but she just _had_ to be sure. If there was a time she wished she could be wrong, it was now.

Not for the dead demons lying sprawled on her very realm, but because of the worrisome awareness that she knew what, or _who_, had just killed them.

She was in fact surprised that her legs felt fairly wobbly when she turned around and headed straight to the royal palace. The time to get involved had come, much to her dismay, unfortunately.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Peorth knew something had just went wrong, oh so very _wrong, _when she spotted Lind storming through the gardens, heading straight towards a very familiar building. She excused herself from the company of two other goddesses with whom she was chit-chatting and made her way, as discretely as possible, to the exasperated Valkyrie.

"Lind" She called out, but her words failed to grab the blue haired goddess attention.

"Lind!" Peorth called again, louder this time, making sure that she was heard. When she got the same response she sighed loudly and stopped her light jog to catch up.

«I hate when it comes to this, but you leave me no choice.» She lamented in her head as she called out again.

"Lind, stop and talk to me. That's an order." There was some sadness present in her tone, but it was clearly masked by the authority also imposed. She watched with guilt griping her heart as Lind stopped and turned around. One could see her fists shaking with fury, but she submitted and obeyed.

"What happened?" Peorth asked timidly, slowly approaching her life long friend.

Lind made mention to speak, her mouth opened, but no words came out. It was then, just as Peorth was giving her time enough to reply, that she first apprehended the condition Lind was in.

Her uniform was cut and bruised all along, with faints marks of scarlet in some spots. There was one or another minor slash on parts of her body that were exposed, such as hands and face, leaving to wonder her accurate state.

"Even if you are who you are, this question I have only to answer to Him." The goddess of the axe finally declared, turning on her heels and resuming her initial mission to get to the Almighty chambers.

Peorth was left stunned there for a moment longer than she estimated. Ice gripped her heart, and like someone else, she felt the niggling awareness of what exactly had happened falling upon her shoulders.

When she came to herself and gave chase, the wooden doors had already closed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"My lord." Lind bowed as she entered the white chamber. The Lord of Heaven didn't need to speak as he acknowledged her presence. He waited patiently for her to calm her sobbing self and report to him.

His eyes changed to a darker color as Lind retrieved three axes from inside the grey cape she was wearing.

"Oh, my daughter…" He grieved, and approached her with open arms. Lind dropped the axes to the ground as she gladly accepted the hug from her Creator and wept on His shoulder.

"They…" She stumbled on her words, as tears and sadness threatened to drown her.

"She killed them." Lind whispered, and the Lord refrained from replying a very cruel «I know». Of course he knew. He knew the moment he felt those 3 souls leaving their bodies that it was Urd who had killed them. And judging by the overwhelming dark presence behind Him, he knew that He had company, and things had just advanced to a new level.

Lind immediately stopped crying as she first felt, then saw with her very own eyes, the Devil Queen herself standing in her Lord's chamber. Her body went rigid as the Creator loosed up on the hug and looked her straight in the face.

"Leave us alone for a moment Lind." He asked with a caring voice.

"My Lord, are you sure?" It was a stupid question, and she stood there feeling rather dim herself, but it was voiced out of love and concern for the Creator, so she quickly dismissed the sentiment.

He smiled a heartrending smile and nodded calmly, and that was all that Lind needed to turn around and leave through the same door she entered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Long time no see." He started, lifting His eyes towards Her for the very first time in millennia's. Her beauty still moved Him, made His heart race and hurt at the same time.

"Though I wish your presence here was for different matters." He admitted, noticing how their daughter had so much of Her. And it seemed it was never this clear before.

She didn't smile, or let any feeling trespass Her mask of unfriendliness. Perhaps it was because it was Her only daughter they were talking about. Perhaps She was just much closer to her than Himself.

"The doublet system was up and running when it happened. As it is now." She remarked, gesturing to the axes dropped by earlier.

"Three demons perished as well, and you know, as I do, that more will succumb if things keep going like this."

"What do you suggest?"

Hild's eyes gleamed even in the brightness of the room as She straightened Her back and declared Her will.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lind had completely forgotten about Peorth as she closed the wooden doors quietly behind her. She wasn't expecting to get out of the hook so easily, but wasn't feeling in a talkative mood either, so she ended up deciding that the more straight the answers, the faster she would get out of there.

So, she never waited for the questions to come.

"We've found her apparently unconscious in the Abyssal sands. That was a few hours after she destroyed one of the suns." Lind explained, and Peorth simply listened to her story.

"I ordered one of them to check her status…" She continued as she tried to put into words the memories that have been replaying in her mind ever since.

**- - - - -FLASBACK - - - - - **

"She's still alive Lind." The short haired blond Valkyrie stated after a brief moment kneeling next to Urd's fallen body.

"Your orders?" She asked in a dull tone.

Hesitating was a mistake Lind wished she hadn't made. She had anticipated the situation, and knew what she needed to do, but her heart and brain just couldn't agree with each other.

"For Almighty's sake Lind. We can end this here!" The one standing at her left proclaimed and called forth her axe. One of them jumping the gun and anticipating her was not something Lind had projected. And thus, she wasn't fast enough to stop her.

"No! Don't!" She still tried to warn her comrade. Three warriors were left stunned as they watched the Valkyrie jump in the air with her axe tight between her hands.

It was then that it happened.

Urd opened her eyes, which this time flashed a bright crimson and swiftly grabbed the Valkyrie kneeling over her. The other was left with no time to stop the oncoming attack as her comrade was cleverly used as a shield… She watched in horror as the solid, sharpened weapon cut through flesh and bone. But she never had time to actually feel regret or shame as her head was ripped from between her shoulder blades with a single movement of Urd's hand.

"Don't engage!" Lind screamed, finally unfreezing.

But still, Hell broke loose.

**- - - - - - - END FLASHBACK - - - - - - **

"Another one was killed, simply pulverized by a thunder bolt before I could knock her cold. Which, I must say, I only accomplished with the darts you gave me. I used four of those, just to be sure she wouldn't wake up on me again."

At this, Peorth made a surprised face, knowing full well the raw effectiveness each one of those darts enclosed. It only took one to knock her out the night Mara attacked them at the temple. She could only imagine what four could do to her.

"She's asleep since then. You may see her if you want. Though I don't know if she wants to see you." She concluded, feeling like there wasn't anything else to explain. She expected Peorth to get the whole idea already.

"One more thing Lind." Peorth demanded just as Lind passed by her.

"What would your orders be?" She asked, defying, but the bait was not taken. Lind never answered her. And she would never do so in the endless times to come.

Peorth would press on the subject, but the devastating menacing presence she felt from behind the dark wooden doors taunted her. It called for her presence before it was too late.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"She is to come back to Hell with me." It was not a request. Not an order either. They would never order each other around… No. There still was, and there would always be, an endless respect for both towards the other. It was something more like a plea.

And the Lord knew He couldn't refuse his first daughter's Mother. No this time. Not when He knew She was right.

"No! Not yet!" A woman's voice called out, as Peorth entered the chamber in a rather blundering way. She was greeted with cold, dented steel being pressed against her throat. The only thing she dared to move were her eyes, and so she lifted them from the floating axe at her throat to Hild's incensed form.

Despite feeling pretty much invaded and confronted Himself, now it was not the time or place for reprimands. It didn't take more than an understanding hand on Hild's shoulder to make her drop the accusing weapon. He was glad that there was still some understanding between them, even after all this time.

"You! You again!" She spitted the words, seemingly sickened by the shocked goddess standing before her.

"How dare you burst in here and tell me what to do?" She inquired. Her voice was low and intimidating, and it took Peorth a inner reset to make her brain start to function again. Her eyes darted between Hild's still enraged figure to her Lord's much calmer, but still annoyed one.

"I…" Not the perfect time to lose her capacity of speech, she pointed in her mind.

"So?" Hild pressed on, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You can't take her yet!" Peorth finally blurted out. Hild raised an eyebrow, unmistakably ticked off. Peorth couldn't help but notice how Urd looked exactly like her whenever she did it.

"So you've said before. I assume you have a better idea then, perhaps?"

Peorth swallowed audibly. It was now or never. She would either take a shot at it now, or regret the missed opportunity for the rest of her eternal existence.

"Give me time with her. Just… two weeks… I can help!" She begged both entities, with hope and nervousness swimming in her voice and heart.

Hild would never have accepted. It wasn't why she came to the Celestial realm in first place. She had all intentions of bringing back Her daughter to Hell with her and assume direct responsibility for her training. She was a Mother after all, and she cared more about her daughter's safety than her heart, so to speak.

She would rather see a heart-broken Urd than a dead one, that's for sure, so she never quite understood herself why she accepted it in first place. In the millennias to come she would say that it was the soothing hand that brushed against hers. His loving, pleading look that melted her resolve.

She was a mother, but she was also a woman in love, once, a very long time ago. And even though her chance had passed her by, perhaps her daughter's had not. Urd trusted Peorth with her life in the past. Perhaps it was time for Her to give her, them, a chance as well.

**- - - - - - - FLASHBACK - - - - - - - **

Lovemaking between them was usually slow and sensual, but Peorth didn't open her mouth to protest when Urd grabbed her by the waist her pushed her against the wall. Peorth's legs quickly found their way around Urd's midway as they kissed furiously.

Hands pulled, rather than removed her clothes, and she was so lost in desire by then that she failed to return the gesture. Lips and fingertips touched and kissed her in places she was not even aware existed. Their bodies were so close to each other that it seemed like they were glued together and refused to part. The tempo was so hasty, like something she had never experienced before, sending her nerves haywire. Her mind was foggy, like every other time she got flooded by the fervor that Urd made her feel, but this time, there was something different about it.

As the act reached its highpoint, not much later, she was left wondering what exactly had happened. It wasn't better or worse than other times. It was just… different…

And she loved it. Every second of it.

It was only when they were cuddling in bed and Peorth was lying against her chest, secure between two tanned arms, that she noticed. Just as she turned her head and Urd lowered hers for a kiss, she noticed the crimson eyes.

But she was not scared. There was a sprouting happiness coming from her chest that she found it difficult to even breathe. Despite being in her demon self, there was not a single glimpse of evil or wickedness in that gaze. Only love. Only passion. She didn't know whether Urd was or wasn't aware of how much that moment meant to her.

«She finally trusts me enough» Peorth warmly thought to herself as they lied there for the longest time, until sleep finally came and claimed them.

**- - - - - - - - END FLASHBACK - - - - - - - - **

Peorth had the decency to blush as she made way for Urd's bedroom.

«I just hope you can trust me once again.»

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

AH!! You wanted a smex scene!?

N.o.t. going to happen… hehehehe

**p.s:** screw FF (dot) net for ruining the editing… There! I've said it! «humph»


	14. Hellooo

Hello all

Well well well, seems like i'm still alive after all!

I deeply apologize for those readers who were waiting for so long for an update. It's been..years(?) I guess, since my last update.

Anyway, just wanted to tell ppl that, yes, I'm alive, and yes, this fic WILL be updated.. eventually.. When I kick myself in the butt to write again ^^

I blame Warcraft.. years of hardcore raiding stole my life! Gladly I managed to stop playing ( in your face Blizzard!)

Long story short, do not panic, this will be updated! I can't tell you it will be this week or next month, as in all honesty, I will have to re-red the whole thing to see where I stopped ^^ A major update of the old files might take place as well, since I didn't like some of the things I wrote in the past. Also, with English not being my native language, if someone could beta-read the future updates for me (so I don't look like a complete $$) would be awesome.

Devil_urd


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